Overlooked: Germany Looks to Ban Scientology — Dec 11th 2007

By Dakota Smith

An interesting Propeller-submitted story that deserves a second look: Last week, German federal and state interior ministers urged the country's domestic intelligence agency to ban Scientology. According to the AP, Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called the Church of Scientology "an unconstitutional organization" in remarks made in Bild am Sonntag, a German weekly. In the article, his comments appeared on the front page under a photo of Scientology member Tom Cruise, with the headline "How dangerous is the Cruise cult?"

Long suspicious of Scientology, Germany has been monitoring the group for nearly a decade, according to the AP. In January, the group opened a 43,000-square-foot Scientology building in Berlin, a move that brought added scrutiny. During this past summer, German officials initially refused to allow filming of a Tom Cruise movie in the country (although no explicit reasons were given), but in the end allowed production to continue.

Other European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Greece, have voiced concern about the group, according to the AFP, and in 2000, France pondered a ban. Still, Germany may be overreaching in its efforts to monitor the group. According to another AP story, the U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for its anti-Scientology practices. Additionally, efforts to ban the church may simply fail: some officials feel the move would be impossible to implement, and the AP, citing Der Spiege, notes that previous efforts to dig up legitimate dirt on the church have failed.

In reaction to German officials' statements, Sabine Weber, president of the Church of Scientology in Berlin, told another AP reporter that "she views the renewed attempt to ban the organization as a reaction to increasing acceptance of Scientologists in several European countries."

"It is very, very clear that the true picture of what Scientology is about is pushing its way through," Weber said. "The interior ministers are clearly reacting to that."

Last month, in fact, Spain's National Court recognized the right of the Church of Scientology to register as a religious organization. That ruling preceded a European Court of Human Rights decision in April stating that Scientology churches are entitled to be treated as religious organizations across Europe. (The latter decision emerged from Russia's refusal to re-register Scientology as a religious entity.)

Following the ruling in Spain last month, Propeller spoke with an Karin Pouw, a Los Angeles-based spokeswoman for the church. "It is extremely important that countries recognize Scientology," wrote Pouw in an email. "In countries that have an official recognition process, the failure to be registered leads to discrimination [against] members. What is important to us is that we be treated like all other religions."

Pouw reiterated that the Spanish decision would have a significant impact abroad. "This ruling, coupled with the unanimous decision of the European Court of Human Rights in April that Scientology churches are entitled to be treated as religious organizations, will have a positive effect throughout Europe," she wrote.

Pouw didn't respond to request for comment this week regarding the efforts to ban the group.

Tags:

4 Comments