Scientology in Germany

Certainly not as we see it in America...Before I could teach in a German highschool, I had to affirm in an oath that I was not a Scientologist...Shades of Tom Cruise!!!

International Herald Tribune
German security officials again seek ban of Scientology

The Associated Press
Friday, December 7, 2007

BERLIN: Germany's top security officials said Friday that they considered the goals of the Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the country's Constitution and would seek to ban the organization.

The interior ministers of Germany's 16 states plan to give the domestic intelligence agency the task of preparing the necessary information to outlaw the organization, which has been under observation here for a decade on suspicions that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order" of the country.

The ministers, and the federal interior minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, "consider Scientology to be an organization that is not compatible with the Constitution," said Ehrhart Körting, interior minister of Berlin, who presided over a two-day conference.

Sabine Weber, president of the Church of Scientology in Berlin, said she viewed 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."

Scientologists have long battled to end the federal surveillance effort, saying it abuses their rights to freedom of religion. They point to several lower-court rulings in favor of their right to practice in Germany as a religious organization.

The interior ministers gave no specific examples for their decision, but the most recent annual report on extremism compiled by their agencies criticized the organization for disregarding human rights.

That report said that based on "a number of sources," some of which were not disclosed publicly, it had been determined that Scientology "seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally."

This year, the German government refused to allow the producers of a movie starring Tom Cruise, an adherent of Scientology, to film scenes in the country, although it did not state Scientology as its reason. It later allowed production to go ahead.

The Church of Scientology, based in Los Angeles, was founded in 1954 by the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It came to Germany in 1970 and officials estimate it now has about 6,000 members here.