Intolerance & Discrimination Against the Scientology Community in Germany Today

SECTION III. EXPULSION FROM POLITICAL PARTIES


I
n December 1991, the CDU passed its shameful resolution to exclude Scientologists. Shortly after, Germany’s two other major political parties followed suit. As a result, Scientologists who belonged to these parties were expelled and new members were screened to ensure they were not members of the Church of Scientology.

So blatant is this discrimination that the current application to enroll in the CDU contains a paragraph requiring individuals to declare that “they are not a member of the Scientology sect.” In contrast, one is not asked to attest he is not a thief, murderer, Neo-Nazi, a former member of the SS or any other such statement.

As a first consequence the Board of Directors of the party in Wetzlar issued a deadline to four Scientologists to leave the Church of Scientology by the end of the year. When they refused, expulsion proceedings began.

Today, a member of the Church of Scientology in Germany may not belong to any political party.

The following are specific instances of discrimination against Scientologists by political parties.

  • 1991, Baden-Württemberg: The CDU Party Congress in Baden-Württemberg in 1991 adopted a resolution demanding comprehensive discriminatory government measures, including “surveillance of activities” and the “prohibition of advertising” by the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations.

  • 1993: By the end of 1993, the Social Democrats (SPD), Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Free Liberal Party (FLP), and even the new STATT party declared that membership in the Church of Scientology was incompatible with the tenets of their political parties. Members of the STATT-Party had to confirm that they were not a parishioner of the Church of Scientology, never took Scientology counselling, and never studied and applied Scientology.

  • July 1994: The CDU District Party Court of Middle Hessia expelled W. and E. H. from the party because they were parishioners of the Church of Scientology.

  • December 1994, Northrhine-Westphalia: Mr. A., a respected citizen of Mechernich in Northrhine-Westphalia and a member in good standing of the Christian Democratic Party for 25 years, was expelled from the CDU by a CDU Party Court decision once his religious association with Scientology became public. This determination was supported by the Federal Minister of Labor, Norbert Blüm, who is Chairman of the CDU in Northrhine-Westphalia and Deputy Chairman of the Federal CDU.

  • January 1995, Berlin: D. K., Secretary General of Berlin CDU, has been a member of the Church of Scientology since the beginning of the 1970s. After Welt am Sonntag (World on Sunday) announced that he is a Scientologist, the mayor, a Mr. Diepgen of the CDU, publicly stated that he “...cannot appoint Mr. K. to the Secretary of State position in the Senate administration.”

  • February 1995: Scientologist, Dr. M.P., received a letter from the Federal President of the FDP, Dr. Klaus Kinkel, who is today Germany’s Foreign Minister. Kinkel stated that he is against dialogue between the FDP and Scientology and that Scientologists may not be members of the FDP.

  • March 1995: Scientologist T. R. received an ultimatum from the district union of the CDU. Mr. R. had to agree within 14 days to renounce his religion or he would be dismissed from the party.

  • May 1995: The Party Board of the Social Democratic Party, one of the two largest parties in Germany, passed a resolution banning members of the Church of Scientology from joining the party.

  • May 1995: Scientologist W. U. has been a member of the CDU for years. Stirred up by the government and CDU propaganda, CDU officials recommended that he leave the party or renounce his religion.

  • February 1996, Hessia: The CDU state party court of Hessia upheld the expulsion of Dr. T. R. and his wife. A major reason given for the expulsion is that the Church of Scientology has lodged complaints of human rights violations in Germany with international human rights bodies.

  • May 1996: W. U., a member of the CDU for 15 years, was expelled from the party due to his membership in the Church of Scientology.

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