Putin warns Russian Church leaders of Terrorist-incited Hate Crimes

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has taken part in a meeting with Russian religious leaders, and has warned them of a surge in hate crimes that may occur in response to the recent terrorist attacks. Putin urged the Church leaders to be wise and the help diffuse the highly tense situation.

"It is clear that letting criminals push us around by stirring up anti-terrorist anger among people of different faiths and ethnicities is absolutely inadmissible," Putin told members of the presidential Council on Interaction with Religious Associations on Wednesday. "In their criminal intentions, extremists actively exploit ethnic and religious intolerance."

It was reported in the Russian press that Putin’s remarks came in response to mounting fears of a breakout in violence between ethnic Ossetians and Ingush in the North Caucasus.

Last month in the Russian town of Beslan, North Ossetian, over 330 people died after a tragic hostage crises took place in a terrorist attack. This incident re-ignited the bad feelings felt between the two ethnic groups.

Putin referred the religious leaders to an obscure reference to the dormant Ingush-Ossetian conflict:

"Your words and actions are extremely important in the current situation, when the criminals are trying to direct anger at the people of another faith and ethnicity," he said.

"I would like to stress that a major aim of the unprecedented series of terrorist attacks ... was to drive a wedge between the Muslim world and representatives of other faiths."

The gathering was attended by religious leaders from Orthadox, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish and Catholic churches.