 |
 cientologists in Germany continue to be ostracized and disenfranchised due to their personal religious beliefs. Systematic measures have been implemented throughout Germany to, in the words of one Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Young Union spokesperson, “eradicate” Scientologists from society. Athletes, teachers, students, executives, artisans—indeed, Scientologists in any profession—know that they risk losing their job, their business or other rights and entitlements if their religious affiliation is known.
In January 1996, Federal Minister of Family Affairs Claudia Nolte held a press conference to declare “war” on Scientology.2 In November 1995, Federal Minister of Labor Bluem, in an interview on Scientology with Der Spiegel, called for a ban of all Scientologists from occupations which “intersect with society,” including schools, the government and business companies; in August 1996, Mr. Bluem called on Christian Churches to join government efforts to “fight” Scientology.3
Likewise, in August 1996, the Bavarian government announced new measures to ban Scientologists from government service and government contracts; the Chairman of the CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate urged that Scientologists be banned from government service; the Minister of Interior of Northrhine-Westphalia and the Minister of Interior for Bavaria called for a nationwide ban of the Church; and the Socialistic Party Germany (SPD) leader in Hessia moved for Scientology companies to be excluded from entering into public contracts.4
Such pronouncements convey a powerful political message to the German public by officially sanctioning an illegal exclusionary policy towards Scientologists which amounts to a government approved policy of religious apartheid as evidenced by the many cases of human rights violations in the past few months which follow.
The government’s leadership in urging all strata of society to isolate and ostracize Scientologists by economically blacklisting and boycotting anyone associated with Scientology is illustrated by the Decision Minutes of the Permanent Conference of Ministers and Senators of Interior of the States on 15th December 1995. The Ministers and Senators recommended a series of measures to “oppose” Scientology, including a recommendation that government offices in the area of fiscal affairs place a declaration clause in contracts with companies doing business with the government to ensure that no business is done with Scientologists.
The declaration requires companies to affirm that the company does not use L. Ron Hubbard’s technology, that company personnel are not trained or participating in courses or seminars where such technology is applied, and that the company rejects the application of such technology.5 This recommendation was endorsed by State Minister Presidents at their March 1996 Conference.6 |
