Religious Apartheid: 1996 – Official Repression of Minority Religious Rights in Germany
In 1993, the association “Peace Movement - Religions and Philosophies for the Peace” was founded by parishioners of different religions--Catholics, Serbian-Orthodox, Moslems and Scientologists--to promote peace to end the violence and suffering in war-torn Bosnia. This organization not only raised public awareness of the suffering in Bosnia, it also collected truckloads of food and clothing for relief of those suffering in strife-torn areas of the former Yugoslavia. Preliminary status of tax-exemption was granted by the tax office in Kiel. On the 29th of December 1993, a letter from the tax office was received by the association revoking tax exempt status. The only rationale for the revocation by the tax commissioner was the nexus between the “Peace Movement Europe” and the Scientology Church.131
The German government is not only failing to fulfill its obligations under international covenants to protect its citizens who are parishioners of minority religions from religious discrimination and intolerance, it is directly responsible for fostering and fueling a climate of intolerance and discrimination against them.
These actions have the effect of intimidating and chilling 30,000 Germans in the exercise of their fundamental right to practice their religious beliefs and to maintain their association with the Church of Scientology and with their co-religionists free from hostile government actions and disparagement of their religion.
(Click on documents below for full text.)
