Whether Russian Language Will Be Sorted?

They propose in the Federation Council to fix legislatively prohibition of usage of such words as "Shakhid" and "jamaat" in relation to terrorists in mass media. It was declared by the assistant to the head of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council Ziyad Sabsabi.

"Naming terrorist-suicide "Shakhid", mass-media thereby give him not deserved appreciation. Shakhid is a soldier who sacrifices life for the sake of protection of the native land, for the sake of protection of the family. He is a sample of courage. Shakhid has nothing in common with terrorists who blow up himself and kill tens not guilty citizens", - he said.

According to Sabsabi, the term "jamaat" in translation from Arabic means "group or community".

"To apply this term in relation to a bandit or terrorist underground in the North Caucasus is at least incorrectly", - the senator noted.

"Therefore it is necessary to forbid legislatively usage of these terms in mass-media with reference to terrorists, to name them Shakhids or to speak about "Shaheed belt" is simply blasphemous", - the senator underlined.

In his opinion, interdiction could be entered into legislation with regard to the struggle against terrorism.

In George Orwell's novel-anti-Utopia "1984" part of the heroes was engaged in drawing up of the dictionary "newspeak". It was impossible to criticize the mighty of the world or to praise their opponents in that new English language - the language simply did not contain proper words. The word "freedom", for example, could have been used in the meaning "shoes are free", or "the toilet is free" but the word-combination "the person is born free" sounded already full nonsense.

It seems, respectable Mr. Ziyad Sabsabi decided to incur hard mission of the Russian О'Брайена and to head clearing off of the domestic dictionary. He would decide what words and expressions are worthy a stamp "checked up and approved by censorship" and what - are unreliable and should be sorted as words-terrorists.

How else intention to permit or forbid various word-combinations legislatively could be understood?

Whether only such a small cap fits? I mean, whether it fits Ziyad? The classic named Russian language great, mighty, truthful and free. Whether it will obey to legislative attempts of statesmen from the Federation Council? It is trusted hardly. They say that in due time Caesar Caligula - obviously to increase intellectual level of the Roman senate - made his horse a member of it. But there are, alas, no horses in present senate of the "Third Rome". If, of course, not to consider that animal on which Jesus drove to Jerusalem...

Russian is free to call as it wish it necessary not only "Shaheed belt" but also Mr. Sabsabi. As other classic marked, "Russian people expresses themselves heartily and if they call someone badly, it will accompany him, will be inherited and will follow him both at work and in resignation, to Petersburg and in the corner of the world".

So, whether it is not better to misters from the Federation Council instead of clearing off and sorting of words of the Russian language to get engaged in cleaning of Putin's toilet - in their direct and habitual business? There they can successfully sink to the "water drain bottom" as Mr. Premier recently said and even can "poke" something therefrom. While they have nothing to do with Russian language. As it is free. As well as, however, Putin's toilet.

From editorial board: Actually linguistic-censorial initiative of Mister Sapsabi is not at all innovation. Practice of prohibition of "undermining" words such as "constitution", "parliament" and even "citizen" and "fatherland" was practiced during the board of Pavel I.

It is necessary to say that mode in "Putin Russia" frankly aspires to resemble imperial Russia. It is visible. However, most of all it's similar to the mad period of board of Pavel I - it was he, for example, who began the process of privatization in Russia. Pavel during his short-term board gave out up to 600 000 souls of state peasants into private possession.

Pavel's coronation took place on April, 5th, 1797, several important documents were published the same day. Among them - "Decree about Succession to the Throne" which established certain order in succession of a throne and ended arbitrariness of a sovereign proclaimed by Peter I in business of appointment of the successor. "Establishment of the Imperial Family Name" defined the order of maintenance of persons of a royal house appointing for that purpose special estates and organizing their management. Apparently, by 2012th year something similar will be published in Putin Russia - enough arbitrariness in appointment of successors. Each of possible successors should receive beseeming status rent in board of one of the state companies.

Problem of succession from imperial Russia is one - rare monarch died of natural death. For example, Pavel I was killed with usage of a snuffbox, at that on instigation of own "successor".

There is one more aspect of a problem. For some reason recently representatives of the Chechen republic pay a lot of attention to the questions of formation of cultural space of Russia. A story with recognition of 58th volume of encyclopedia "extremist material" by court in Grozny is still memorable. There are some more initiatives of this sort.

Certainly, it is laudable that the Chechen society does not get reserved and tries to realize their cultural initiatives in all-Russian format. Though why this activity is limited to repressive component - to forbid, recognize as extremist, to limit circulation? Perhaps, there are some positive forms of realization, for example, formation of own cultural agenda? Translation into Russian of the Chechen literature, Chechen songs or, for example, edition of works of the Chechen communists actively discussing questions of principle in the early 30-s with Stalin - at least, it would help to understand why local party workers were at the head of "anti-Soviet" revolt in the Chechen Republic and what actually was at the back of deportation?

It would be more productive, rather than reproduction of practice of the government of emperor Pavel epoch sated mainly with historical jokes.

Аnatoly Baranov

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