Government Censorship in Public Libraries: Germany
In Berlin libraries, the number of “anti-Scientology” books totals 50, compared with only 2 books by Mr. Hubbard which portray the religion accurately. When someone attempted to loan one of those two books, he required considerable persistence to persuade the librarian to locate it. It was finally tracked down to a dusty shelf in a basement where nobody would have found it.
Human Rights Covenants:
Such policies and practices of censorship of the works of the founder of a religion violate several human rights covenants guaranteeing freedom of expression and opinion.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." (italics added)
Article 26(2) of the Declaration states, in part, “[Education] shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial and religious groups....”
These rights are further articulated in Article 19(2) of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both ratified by Germany.
Furthermore, Title 16j of the 1989 Concluding Document from the Vienna Conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe requires that state parties “allow religious faiths, institutions and organizations to produce and import and disseminate religious publications and materials.”
Government censorship of the works of Mr. Hubbard in libraries through Germany not only violates the above human rights covenants, it inflames and perpetuates a climate of religious intolerance and discrimination facing Scientologists in Germany. Under these circumstances, international reporting and assistance is necessary to ensure that the illegal actions of the German government suppressing the free expression of members of a minority religion in Germany cease.
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