In 1996, a member of the German Christian Democrat youth organization suggested boycotting - in other words, an invitation to people not to go and see - a film starring Tom Cruise, a member of Scientology. As a response to this probably not very brilliant, but certainly quite peaceful, proposal, CESNUR published the appeal - which you can read below - which accused Germany of conducting a "campaign of hate" reminiscent "of the darkest ages in recent European history."
For self-evident historical reasons, Germany is highly sensitive to totalitarian movements. These are normally of the far right, but also include Communists (we should remember that a large part of Germany was governed for half a century by a Marxist dictatorship).
Recently, Germany found itself dealing with a totalitarian movement which did not fall into the traditional categories of nationalist or left-wing extremism. But which was certainly far better organized than all the movements the authorities usually monitored: the US multinational Scientology.
Following is the appeal in support of Scientology, plus an official statement by the German authorities regarding this multinational corporation.
From an appeal sent to German
authorities on August 15, 1996, signed by CESNUR directors Massimo Introvigne
(Italy) and Reverend James Gordon Melton (America).
CESNUR USA
FOR ADDITIONA INFORMATION CONTACT: DR MASSIMO INTROVIGNE
PUBLIC STATEMENT
MONTREAL - CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, an international network of scholarly associations devoted to the study of the new religious movements, independent from any Church or religious movement, is holding in Montreal, Quebec, its tenth international conference. The conference is a successful celebration of religious scholarship, as well as of tolerance and freedom. While scholars gather in Montreal to promote tolerance and understanding, the movie "Mission Impossible" is being boycotted by members of the CDU Youth organization in Germany because of actor Tom Cruise's affiliation with a new religion, the Church of Scientology. At the same time political forces in Bavaria and Germany suggest that Scientologists should be barred from public service. We believe that these proposals are revelatory of an extremely dangerous bigotry identifying new religions as scapegoats for all sorts of social evils and giving to the State the power to define what is an acceptable religion. Scholars have a social responsibility to expose these proposals as inimical to religious liberty and reminiscent of the darkest ages in recent European history. We urge the heads of the government at
federal and state levels in Germany and Belgium, as well as all genuine
friends of religious liberty, to take immediate action to ensure that this
campaign of hate is stopped without delay.
Signed: Dr Massimo Introvigne,
Chairman, CESNUR International
Germany's view Germany, in an official document spreaded by the German Information Centre of the German Embassy, Washington, replies to Scientology propaganda. From: www.germany-info.org/facts/scientology.htm
Scientology and Germany Understanding the German View of Scientology The German government considers the Scientology organization a commercial enterprise with a history of taking advantage of vulnerable individuals and an extreme dislike of any criticism. The government is also concerned that the organization's totalitarian structure and methods may pose a risk to Germany's democratic society. Several kinds of evidence have influenced this view of Scientology, including the organization's activities in the United States. There are three notable American court cases involving Scientology that illustrate why Germany's concerns about this organization are justified. In the early 1980s, American courts convicted 11 top Scientologists for plotting to plant spies in federal agencies, break into government offices and bug at least one IRS meeting. In 1994, in a case involving Lawrence Wollersheim, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California court's finding of substantial evidence that Scientology practices took place in a coercive environment and rejected Scientology's claims that the practices were protected under religious freedom guaranties. In September 1997, the Illinois Supreme Court found there was evidence enough to allege that Scientology had driven the Cult Awareness Network into bankruptcy by filing 21 lawsuits in a 17-month period. The court stated that "such a sustained onslaught of litigation can hardly be deemed 'ordinary', if [the Network] can prove that the actions were brought without probable cause and with malice." In addition, a New York Times article on March 9, 1997, outlined "an extraordinary campaign orchestrated by Scientology against the [IRS] and people who work there. Among the findings . . . were these: Scientology's lawyers hired private investigators to dig into the private lives of IRS officials and to conduct surveillance operations to uncover potential vulnerabilities." A related New York Times article on December 1, 1997, added that earlier IRS refusals to grant tax exemption "had been upheld by every court." (On December 30, 1997, a Wall Street Journal article outlined details of the $12.5 million tax settlement between the IRS and Scientology, including the Scientology agreement to drop thousands of lawsuits against the IRS.) On December 1, 1997, a New York Times article reported on an ongoing criminal investigation into Scientology's role in a member's death in Clearwater, Florida. A related article the same day describes Scientology records seized in an FBI raid on church offices that prove "that Scientology had come to Clearwater with a written plan to take control of the city. Government and community organizations were infiltrated by Scientology members. Plans were undertaken to discredit and silence critics. A fake hit-and-run accident was staged in 1976 to try to ruin the political career of the mayor... A Scientologist infiltrated the local newspaper and reported on the paper's plans to her handlers." Given this background, Germany, as well as Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Israel and Mexico, remain unconvinced that Scientology is a religion. Scientology has never disputed the neutrality of Germany's independent judicial system. In German courts, the Scientologists' cases often deal with the organization's desire for tax exemptions. The Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht) ruled on March 22, 1995, that the Scientology branch in Hamburg was not a religious congregation, but clearly a commercial enterprise. In its decision, the court quotes one of L. Ron Hubbard's instructions "make money, make more money -- make other people produce so as to make money" and concludes that Scientology purports to be a "church" merely as a cover to pursue its economic interests. In a November 6, 1997, decision, the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) sent a case back to a lower court saying it was irrelevant whether Scientology was a religion. The court stated that the Scientology organization's legal status must be judged by its level of commercial activity. In response to numerous petitions, including those from relatives and former members and one signed by over 40,000 concerned citizens, the German Parliament (Bundestag) established a study commission to gather factual information on the goals, activities and practices of "so-called sects and psychological groups." The commission is neither examining religious and ideological views nor is it preparing a list of groups active in Germany. The commission will present a report of its findings in 1998. The Federal Government has also conducted thorough studies on the Scientology organization. Expert reports and testimony by former members confirm again and again that membership can lead to psychological and physical dependency, financial ruin and even suicide. Because of its experiences during the Nazi regime, Germany has a special responsibility to monitor the development of any extreme group within its borders -- even when the group's members are small in number. Given the indisputable evidence that the Scientology organization has repeatedly attempted to interfere with the American government and has harmed individuals within Germany, the German federal government has responded in a very measured legal fashion to the Scientology organization. On June 6, 1997, Federal and State Ministers of the Interior agreed to place the Scientology organization under surveillance. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungschutz) will formally investigate several activities of the Scientology organization and report after a year. Referring to the investigation, Manfred Kanther, Federal Minister of the Interior, said, "The year's surveillance will establish whether the organization is simply an unpleasant group, a criminal organization or an association with anti-constitutional aims."
Fact Sheet Should Scientology be considered a religion? In its ads and writings, the Scientology organization claims it is internationally recognized as a religion, except in Germany. This is false. Among the countries that do not consider Scientology a religion are Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain, as well as Israel and Mexico. In the United States, the Scientology organization did in fact receive tax-exempt status as a religious congregation in 1993 -- after a decades-long, contentious battle with the IRS. Referring to this battle, The New York Times in a front-page article published March 9, 1997, "found that the (tax) exemption followed a series of unusual internal IRS actions that came after an extraordinary campaign orchestrated by Scientology against the agency and people who work there. Among the findings...were these: Scientology's lawyers hired private investigators to dig into the private lives of IRS officials and to conduct surveillance operations to uncover potential vulnerabilities." A related New York Times article on December 1, 1997, added that earlier IRS refusals to grant tax exemption "had been upheld by every court." (On December 30, 1997, a Wall Street Journal article outlined details of the $12.5 million tax settlement between the IRS and Scientology, including the Scientology agreement to drop thousands of lawsuits against the IRS.) In Germany, it is possible for organizations undertaking non-profit activities to be exempt from taxation. Up until now, attempts by the Scientology organization to obtain such status have failed. Two of the highest German courts recently dealt with cases involving the Scientology organization. The Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht) in its above mentioned decision on March 22, 1995, also ruled, that the Scientology branch in Hamburg was not a religious congregation, but clearly a commercial enterprise. In its decision, the court quotes one of L. Ron Hubbard's instructions "make money, make more money -- make other people produce so as to make money" and concludes that Scientology purports to be a "church" merely as a cover to pursue its economic interests. In a November 6, 1997, decision , the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) sent a case back to a lower court saying it was irrelevant whether Scientology was a religion. The court stated that the Scientology organization's legal status must be judged by its level of commercial activity. Also in France, the Scientology organization is neither a religion nor a non-profit institution. The organization's Paris head office was closed in early 1996 for not paying back taxes. In Great Britain, the Scientology organization
has been rebuffed repeatedly by the Charity Commission which insisted as
recently as 1995 that the organization could not be considered a religion
under British law and could, therefore, not enjoy any tax-exempt status.
According to a decision of March 22, 1995, by the Federal Labor Court, Scientology utilizes "inhuman and totalitarian practices." Often members are separated from their families and friends. The organization is structured so as to make the individual psychologically and financially dependent on a Scientology system. There are cases of the Scientology organization using this system of control and assertion of absolute authority to exercise undue influence in certain economic sectors -- particularly in personnel and management training -- causing serious harm to some individuals. In response to numerous petitions, including those from relatives and former members and one signed by over 40,000 concerned citizens, the German Parliament (Bundestag) established a study commission to gather factual information on the goals, activities and practices of "so-called sects and psychological groups." The commission includes 12 experts from the fields of justice, sociology, psychology, education, religious studies and theology. The commission is neither examining religious and ideological views nor is it preparing a list of groups active in Germany. The commission plans to release a final report in the first half of 1998. In the United States, there are three notable court cases involving Scientology that illustrate why Germany's concerns about this organization are justified. In the early 1980s, American courts convicted 11 top Scientologists for plotting to plant spies in federal agencies, break into government offices and bug at least one IRS meeting. In 1994, in a case involving Lawrence Wollersheim, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California court's finding of substantial evidence that Scientology practices took place in a coercive environment and rejected Scientology's claims that the practices were protected under religious freedom guaranties. In September 1997, the Illinois Supreme Court found there was evidence enough to allege that Scientology had driven the Cult Awareness Network into bankruptcy by filing 21 lawsuits in a 17-month period. The court stated that "such a sustained onslaught of litigation can hardly be deemed 'ordinary', if [the Network] can prove that the actions were brought without probable cause and with malice." Currently in the United States, there is an ongoing criminal investigation into Scientology's role in a member's death in Clearwater, Florida. Reporting on the case, a December 1, 1997, New York Times article describes Scientology records seized in an FBI raid on church offices that prove "that Scientology had come to Clearwater with a written plan to take control of the city. Government and community organizations were infiltrated by Scientology members. Plans were undertaken to discredit and silence critics. A fake hit-and-run accident was staged in 1976 to try to ruin the political career of the mayor. . . A Scientologist infiltrated the local newspaper and reported on the paper's plans to her handlers." In other countries, too, the Scientology organization is increasingly seen with great concern. In France, a government commission led by then-Prime Minister Juppé, and charged with monitoring the activities of sects, convened its first meeting in mid-November 1996. On November 22, 1996, in Lyon, several leading Scientologists were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and fraud in a case where methods taught by Scientology were found to have driven a person to suicide. In Greece, a judge declared in January 1997 that an Athens Scientology group was illegal after ruling that the group had used false pretenses to obtain an operating license.
Federal and Regional Responses to the Scientologists in Germany On June 6, 1997, Federal and State Ministers of the Interior agreed to place the Scientology organization under surveillance. The Ministers reviewed evidence and concluded that several activities of the Scientology organization may operate contrary to democratic principles and therefore the organization warrants a formal investigation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungschutz). The investigation will focus on the structure of the organization and not on individual members. The Office will make a report at the end of a year. Referring to the investigation, Manfred Kanther, Federal Minister of the Interior, said on June 6, 1997: "The year's surveillance will establish whether the organization is simply an unpleasant group, a criminal organization or an association with anti-constitutional aims." Some of the German states have also responded to Scientology. Bavaria requires all applicants for admission to Bavarian public service and current public service employees to indicate whether they belong to the Scientology organization.
What is the Truth about the Scientologists' Claims? In its campaign to discredit Germany, Scientology uses the tactic of supplying only incomplete information to back up its claims, making it extremely difficult for the German government to research and respond to charges. However, the German government continues its attempts to investigate Scientologists allegations, as it would any citizen's. The Scientologists' repeated allegations that artists belonging to Scientology are being discriminated against in Germany are false. Freedom of artistic expression is guaranteed in Article 5 (3) of the German Basic Law (Germany's Constitution), thus artists are free to perform or exhibit in Germany anywhere they please. Jazz pianist Chick Corea performed in Germany as recently as March 24, 1996, during the 27th International Jazz Week held in Burghausen, an event which received approximately $10,000 in funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Culture. "Mission Impossible," starring Tom Cruise, was a hit in Germany, grossing $23.6 million. Likewise, the Scientologists' claim that a teacher who taught near the city of Hannover was fired for her beliefs is untrue. The woman was not fired, though she repeatedly violated school regulations by using the classroom to recruit students and their parents to Scientology. After multiple warnings, the woman was transferred from classroom to administrative duties to prevent further violations. Contrary to Scientology's allegations, no child can be prevented from attending public school in Germany. In fact, like all children in the country, Scientologists children must be enrolled in either public or private institutions.
The Scientology Public Relations Campaign Against Germany The Church of Scientology has waged an aggressive campaign against Germany. Using full-page ads in the New York Times and the Washington Post that began in October 1996, the Scientology organization has compared the treatment of Scientologists in present-day Germany with that of the Jews under the Nazi regime. This is not only a distortion of the facts, but also an insult to the victims of the Holocaust. Officials in Germany and the U.S. have repeatedly spoken out against this blatant misuse of the Holocaust. Ignatz Bubis, chairman of the Council of Jews in Germany and Germany's top Jewish leader, denounced the comparison as "false." On June 6, 1997, the State Department's spokesman again defended Germany, saying : "Germany needs to be protected, the German Government and the German leadership need to be protected from this wild charge made by the Church of Scientology in the U.S. that somehow the treatment of Scientologists in Germany can or should be compared to the treatment of Jews who had to live, and who ultimately perished, under Nazi rule in the 1930s. This wildly inaccurate comparison is most unfair to Chancellor Kohl and to his government and to regional governments and city governments throughout Germany. It has been made consistently by supporters of Scientology here in the United States, and by Scientologists themselves. I do want to disassociate the U.S. Government from this campaign. We reject this campaign. It is most unfair to Germany and to Germans in general". The Scientology organization has also distributed pamphlets such as "The Rise of Hatred and Violence in Germany," reiterating its allegations. An open letter to Chancellor Kohl, written by a Hollywood lawyer with famous Scientology clients, appeared in early 1997 in the International Herald Tribune. The letter repeated Scientology organization assertions against Germany and was signed by 34 American celebrities. "Disgraceful and irresponsible" is how Michel Friedman, a member of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, described the letter. He added: "It's totally off the mark. Today, we have a democracy and a state based on the rule of law." Following the letter, the U.S. State Department
also criticized the Scientologists' public relations campaign, saying,
"we have advised the Scientology community not to run those ads because
the German government is a democratic government and it governs a free
people. And it is simply outrageous to compare the current German leadership
to the Nazi-era leadership. We've told the Scientologists this, and in
this sense we share the outrage of many Germans to see their government
compared to the Nazis."
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