The Russian Federation of Jewish Communities (FEOR) on Wednesday expressed indignation over the decision to honour Orsan, saying it could "tarnish the prestige of this high state medal".
In a statement on its website, the group published comments it attributed to Orsan that expressed xenophobic sentiments and praised the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
"We think that such political gestures are extremely dangerous and play into the hands of those who want to spread xenophobia in Russian society," the Jewish group said in a statement.
Orsan is the former chairman and current advisor of the Arab Writers Union of Syria.
The award came at a time of growing international outrage over the Kremlin's refusal to squarely blame President Bashar al-Assad for violence that has claimed thousands of lives over the last year.
In his expression of thanks after receiving the medal from Medvedev, Orsan praised Russia for its opposition to attempts to "meddle in the internal affairs of other states and people in the context of a unipolar world."
He described Russia as a "historically free political force" that had fought "attempts to bring back colonialism to our world under a new guise", according to a translation of his comments published by the Kremlin.
Speaking to AFP in Damascus, Orsan criticised the opposition fighting Assad's regime but vehemently denied that he had ever praised the September 11 attacks.
"The militarisation of the opposition will take Syria towards civil war and destruction and bring the country unbearable consequences. If we are at war for years on end we shall lose everything."
But he added: "While the Americans had taken up very bad positions, we stand in solidarity with the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks."
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