Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior
June 6, 1997
Nationwide surveillance of the Scientology Organization by the
authorities
in charge of the protection of the constitution
Beckstein welcomes the unequivocal stand by the Ministers of the
Interior
+++ Bavarian Minister of the Interior Beckstein welcomes the
unequivocal
stand assumed by the Conference of German Ministers of the
Interior (IMK) in
voting to accept the consequences of the final report submitted
by a Working
Group of the authorities in charge of the protection of the
constitution and
to carry Bavaria’s motion that the Scientology Organization
be kept under
nationwide observation. +++
The Working Group of representatives of federal and state
authorities for
the protection of the constitution that was set up in November
1996 by the
Conference of German Ministers of the Interior (IMK) also
following a
Bavarian initiative has completed its investigation and submitted
a
comprehensive, over 200-page long report to the IMK. This final
report is
the result of systematic examination and analysis of all the
material
available to the authorities in charge of the protection of the
constitution
on the Scientology Organization. In the words of Dr. Günther
Beckstein:
"This report has shattered Scientology’s propaganda
facade of a harmless
religious community. I welcome the fact that the IMK has followed
my
proposal and its unanimous vote is also a clear indication that
the State is
not willing to stand by and watch what this organization is
doing. I expect
joint surveillance by the federal and state authorities in charge
of the
protection of the constitution to result in decisive progress in
combating
the danger emanating from the Scientology Organization for public
security
and our free democratic basic order."
The report clearly highlights the incompatibility of the program
and
activities of Scientology with the ideas of a free democratic
basic order:
* Scientology is striving for a different society, in which
even non-scientologists will be "managed" by the
Scientology
"leaders of tomorrow" with what they consider to be
superior
methods.
* Scientology wants to establish its own legal system that is
binding upon everyone, with Scientology standards, but
without any guarantee of the course of law, without the due
process of law, without lawful and independent judges and
without lawful administration.
* Scientology disregards human rights (Article 1 of the
Constitution) and the principle of equality (Article 3 of the
Constitution), since only "cleared",
"non-aberrant"
scientologists are entitled to enjoy rights.
* Scientology disregards Article 5 of the Constitution, as
criticism of scientology must be suppressed by every means
available, including force.
* Scientology is organized along totalitarian lines
deliberately including violence and despotism.
In the words of Beckstein: "The evidence actually collected
by the Working
Group indicating anticonstitutional activities on the part of the
Scientology Organization is so numerous and so serious that there
could no
longer be any doubt about the statutory prerequisites for
surveillance by
the authorities for the protection of the constitution being met.
The
authorities in charge of the protection of the constitution must
therefore
fulfil their statutory mandate and keep Scientology under
observation."
Measures undertaken by the Government of the State of Bavaria
against
Scientology
Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior
April 9, 1997
Beckstein: Heavy blow for Scientology at European Human Rights
Commission
+++ Bavarian Minister of the Interior, Dr. Günther Beckstein,
described the
rejection of Scientology’s complaint on account of basic
rights as a severe
blow to the organization. The European Commission for Human
Rights found
that its basic rights complaint against the Federal Republic of
Germany was
not admissible. "The organization’s attempt to
circumvent an examination of
the cynical system of Scientology by German courts has thus
failed.
Scientology will also in future probably be reluctant to take
such action
and instead prefer to carry on publishing expensive glossy
brochures like
the new issue of "Freiheit", that contain one lie after
another", commented
Beckstein. +++