Religious factor and threats to national security of Russia and Belarus: comparative analysis

Abstract

The paper presents a comparative analysis of the religious factor in the national security policy of Russia and Belarus. The legal framework and institutional bases of the national security policy of the two states are analyzed in order to identify and conceptualize the religious component. The similarity and differences in the objects of national security policy and threats to national security in aspects where the presence of a religious factor is revealed are shown. It is concluded that in Russia the list of threats related to the religious factor of national security has been expanded in comparison with Belarus. The concept of religious security as an integral part of the national security policy is analyzed. The conclusion is made about the possibilities of using this concept in the formation of the goals and objectives of the religious policy of Russia and Belarus. Similar threats to national security – religious extremism; proselytism of non-traditional for Russian and Belarusian society religious associations; degradation of traditional spiritual and moral values and loss of religious identity-are identified and analyzed. The General and special in conceptualization of the specified threats is shown. The conclusion is made about the specifics of the manifestation of the religious factor in the interpretation of threats to national security in Russia and Belarus.