‘Let them be children’: Chechen leader Kadyrov calls for parents to keep kids out of politics

“Let them be children for some time at least. When someone brings schoolchildren (and sometimes kids of kindergarten age) to political events, it is ruining their childhood. Don’t force children to think like you do – with your templates and stereotypes, don’t impose your political preferences on them,” Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram messenger channel on the past weekend.

He emphasized that every time when parents take their kids to political events they force their own viewpoints into kids’ heads.

“We need to foster in our children is love to our motherland, respect towards all religions and need for justice. Give them books. Help them in their lives, but don’t force them to live our lives,” the Chechen leader wrote.

Kadyrov also explained that children face much greater risks in cases when political rallies turn into unrest. He recalled that he personally had taken his children to a public event only once, and this event was of a religious character. He wrote that he teaches his kids the history of his country and people and encourages them to subject everything to personal analysis, so that no one could impose on them false beliefs in the future.

Earlier this month, the head of the federal Interior Ministry’s directorate for fighting extremism, Timur Valiulin, proposed to introduce responsibility for parents and teachers who take their children and pupils for mass political events that take place without a license from the authorities.

In April, the legislative assembly in the Leningrad Region drafted a bill that, if passed, would prevent social networks from distributing any information concerning public marches and rallies that have not been agreed with regional authorities. The draft has not yet been considered by the federal parliament.