From: Le Soir Magazine, Brussels, May 16, 2006, p. 10-12.

Original title: "BRUXELLES - Nouveau centre européen de la Scientologie"
By Julie Barreau

[Translator's note: This is the first part of a three-part article, and the
first sidebar out of four. Everything between square brackets is mine.
I've kept street names in French. People who want to web this might want to
take a look at the publisher's original PDF files, available at
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/lesoir-magazine.htm to make sense of the
layout and perhaps, ahem, borrow the photographs. Note: doing so, as well
as posting this translation itself, is undoubtedly in breach of copyright,
but don't tell anyone that, ok? Until a few years ago, I would have
politely asked the publication for permission before posting, but it has
been my experience that newspapers and other periodicals don't really mind
when single articles from past issues are reproduced for an audience that
is outside their sales area anyway. This is a quick-and-dirty effort, there
are some things for which better alternatives will no doubt come into my
mind just after I've posted this.]

[FIRST PART OF MAIN ARTICLE, p. 10-12]

[headline] BRUSSELS: Scientology's new European center

[sub-headline] Scientology's mask drops. Their objective: seizing power.

It was a summit meeting. Saturday the 8th of April 2006, 1 PM, Brussels, at
the Best Western Hotel, the 'crossroads of Europe'. Several delegations are
hurrying in to attend an unusual conference. Scientologists who have come
from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland
are jostling in front of the hotel doors. An hour later, a couple of
hundred people are sitting in one of the basement meeting rooms. They're
waiting impatiently for the speeches by the stars of the event, the
European leadership of Scientology. They are about to witness the unveiling
of the Church's new expansion plans for the old continent. At last, a man
strides towards the podium, leans into the microphone, and says in English,
loudly and full of conviction: "We are at war!". The tone for what follows
has been set. This isn't some joke.

[sub-headline] 7000 square meters right under the windows of the Ministry
of Justice.

Only three years after the controversy caused by buying a building at No.
91, Rue de la Loi [Tr.: the street where the Belgian federal parliament and
a whole host of other government buildings are located], Scientology
strikes again. The American mother Church has set its sights on Belgium.
Its European center of operations is going to be transferred from
Copenhagen to Brussels. The international Church of Scientology has the
means to back up its ambitions. It has accumulated a vast war chest, which
it doesn't hesitate to use. It has also bought other buildings, Nos. 100,
101, 102 and 103, boulevard de Waterloo! No less than 7000 square meters,
located between the Ministry of Justice and the Palace of Justice... The
location is as strategic as it is symbolic. This sensational bit of news is
announced to the followers during the first part of the meeting. "This
building will be twice as large as the largest Church of Scientology in
Europe. It will have fourteen auditing rooms, and will be able to
accommodate hundreds of people", the speaker proudly proclaims. Perspective
sketches of the building are shown on the overhead projector, amidst
deafening applause from the audience. Its grand opening is planned for
October. The conference doesn't stop there. The acquisition of real estate
by Scientology in Brussels is just a first step in their plan to infiltrate
the EU institutions.

[sub-headline] The road to power

In fact, the Scientologists are already in the process of trying to
organise a human rights conference within the European Parliament itself,
their ultimate target. Scientology tries to acquire power, slowly but
surely, and always in an insidious way. Their goals are clear. "We must
take control in Belgium! They have the same intentions as the Nazis did! We
must educate these forces of the Fourth Reich about human rights!"
_Standing ovation_ [Tr.: last 2 words in English in original]. To clarify:
governments that don't recognize Scientology as a legitimate religion are
considered by Scientologists to be Nazis, hence the use of the term "Fourth
Reich" to indicate, in this case, the EU Commission and the European
Parliament. Scientologists believe it is their duty to 'educate' these
institutions to rally them to their cause, and to take control of them to
save the planet! Scientology's internal rhetoric is that of a totalitarian
ideology. Anything that stands in its way is considered to be a malignant
power, working towards the destruction of mankind and at the root of all
the evils from which our planet suffers. Under the pretext of being a
"minority religion", as it calls itself, Scientology is in fact a political
organisation which has as its ultimate goal to seize power and establish a
dictatorship.

[sub-headline] The final act: a massive recruitment effort

Acquiring sumptuous buildings, and an unquenchable thirst for power, aren't
enough. Scientology announces it wants to create ten missions and fifteen
groups around the big Church in Brussels. For this titanic task, it will
need a lot of manpower. The first cloud on the horizon is: its human
resources are completely inadequate. In fact, even though the Church of
Scientology Belgium claimed recently to have no less than 5000 members, in
reality there are probably no more than about 200 active members, that is
people in regular contact with the Church. The goal of this conference was
therefore not only to reveal to the most devoted Scientologists in Europe
the new plan of action, but also to recruit, that very day, between 70 and
150 new members! The speakers attempt to stir up the audience: "Europe is
in danger, we need to wake up! If you want to win this war, you've got to
be a part of it!"

The second half of the meeting is taken up by the reading out loud of a
series of quotes, too many to count, and also shown on the overhead
projector, from L. Ron Hubbard, about the necessity of activism and
participation. After this interminable recitation of absurd phrases, a
woman exhorts, in a shrieking voice, all volunteers to join her on the
podium. After some hesitation, a lone figure stands up, causing a
thunderous applause. In total, about a dozen people end up volunteering...
not really what it will take to fill up the new building.

Hungry for power, Scientology aims for the top. But there are going to be
plenty of obstacles in the way. For starters, their upcoming trial.

- Julie Barreau.

[SIDEBAR, p. 10-11]

[sub-headline]Scientology advances stealthily...

The assault of Scientology on the capital of Europe has advanced in stages.
Until recently, they only owned two buildings in Brussels. The first
one, in the Rue du général McArthur, is used for auditing sessions
(Scientology practices of a supposed therapeutic nature). And a second one,
in the Rue au Beurre, close to the Grand-Place, meant for recruitment
purposes. Here, Scientologists give personality tests to members of the
public in an attempt to draw them in.

In August 2003, the international Church scores a major success in
acquiring a building at No. 91, Rue de la Loi, a name with such rich
symbolic significance... [Tr.: it means "Law Street"]. On a mission to
seduce, Scientology offers itself a facelift. It wants a new face, that of
a charitable organisation. It puts on its most innocent guise. Modestly
called the "European Office of Public Affairs and Human Rights", this
office with its three floors is one big advertisement for the
Scientologists' cause. The building is magnificent. The walls are
spotlessly white; antique chandeliers bring out the ceiling moldings. The
pseudo-humanitarian efforts of Scientology are depicted with pomp and
circumstance. The guided tour, which takes half a day, lauds the efforts of
the volunteer 'ministers' of Scientology who descend on disaster areas
wearing their traditional yellow T-shirts. It also prominently shows off
Narconon (a drug rehabilitation program without medical supervision or
methadone) and Criminon (a rehabilitation program for criminals). A whole
floor has been devoted to the biography of L. Ron Hubbard, the guru and
founder who died in 1986. He is portrayed as a true hero, a superman. What
else would one expect? There is also a room dedicated to educating the
public about human rights, with the cult trying to posit itself as the new
spokesperson for this cause. A large part of the exhibition is devoted to
virulent attacks on psychiatry, its sworn enemy. Scientology tries to do
battle with this branch of medicine because it believes it has the power to
heal mental disease through the practice of 'Dianetics'. Finally, the
center offers a number of explanations of what Dianetics and Scientology
are.

"Our embassy for human rights is a showcase. Every day, we receive members
of the EU Commission and the European Parliament, ambassadors and ministers
from all over the place. Our aim is to throw light on what Scientology is
doing beyond what is found in newspaper headlines", declares a high-ranking
Church member, in charge of showing visitors around the center. This center
is therefore not aimed at Scientologists, it has been entirely created for
outsiders. During the guided tour, not a word is said about the political
ambitions of Scientology. The double-talk from the cult is disarming. But
despite the efforts of the staff, the place has very few visitors. The new
building in the Boulevard de Waterloo will be reserved for followers. It
remains to be seen if there will be enough of those to make it viable.

- Julie Barreau

...

read more »

Seems I can't email you, so please e-mail me. I'm going to do part of
this as I said, but I can't email you to ask how far you are going.
I'll start on the last section and work backward from there, I guess.

Best, Eldon
eldonb...@aol.com

ROUGH TRANSLATION OF PART III

Here is the end segment. Piltdown Man did Part I. The middle Part II is
not done. There will be some American punctuation and spelling in here
-- commas inside quote marks, z's where s's should be or vice versa. I
can complete Part II easily enough if need be.

Please tell me whether you prefer this in UK/European or American
English. I don't really know which if should be. There are minor
differences, and it should be aimed at the audience where it will have
most impact.

I would also like P.M. or someone who is a native Frog and fluent in
English to compare the two. I take significant liberties with syntax
and terminology to make things sound "authentic" in English, and
sometimes I overdo it. This should be pretty close, though.

Gawd, Roger is a shithead SP. No wonder Scientology hates him so much.
----------

HEAD: The true face of scientology
SUBHEAD: How Scientology treats its members

Scientology claims 8 to 10 million followers worldwide. In reality, the
total would be more like 100,000 to 200,000 members. "Scientology is
the biggest pseudo-religious swindle of the 20th and 21st centuries!"
declares Roger Gonnet, a former member who established the Church of
Scientology of Lyon(1). Scientology promises supreme freedom and
absolute power. But if you believe the testimony of former followers,
it can only ruin and destroy you.    

SUBHEAD: A person's ruin  

Open to every sector of the public, Scientology proclaims itself to be
both science and religion in order to avoid losing a single "prospect"
People study it to answer their questions. It is supposed to provide
answers about the origins of mankind and the complexity of being human,
explains a former member.

Scientology "recruits" followers by different means. Initially, it is
through word of mouth: members are duty-bound to proselytize. Front
groups such as Criminon, Narconon, U-man [business consultants] or
Management Efficiency [corporate training] are also used. But the most
widespread method is the personality test. "These tests are a crock!"
says Roger Gonnet, laughing. "In fact, the results are always
catastrophic. 'You are depressed, you have no goals, no control over
your life.' That's the explanation you'll get when a Scientologist
administers the test. But they'll offer a solution -- courses in
Dianetics!"

A huge number of courses are available. But watch out --  at each step,
the price increases. In all, there are about thirty levels to go from
"raw meat" (non-Scientologist status) to OT 15, the ultimate level. To
traverse all these stages, the devotee will pay between 300,000 and
500,000 euros. People spend fortunes for courses that never bring the
answers they're searching for.       "They're selling hot air", says
one despairing former member. Scientology is a system that stretches
over a long duration. The "truth" is delivered drop by drop. When you
arrive at level OT III, you'll be taught that each of us is not a
single human being, but that thousands of spirits are interacting
within every one of us. Yes, this is a serious belief -- that there are
numerous entities within each body!  "If those things were known at the
beginning, nobody would have ever joined Scientology," Gonnet
continues. For people within the system, this belief is cast in stone,
insists the former member.

Besides taking courses, followers need "auditing". This is a form of
psychoanalysis where the person describes a traumatic event until she
finds it laughable. Then the event supposedly has no more influence
over her. Imagine a girl who was a victim of incest quaking with
laughter about describing the crime!

Finally, every good scientologist must be equipped with an e-meter.
Price: 5,000 euros (manufacturing cost: about 100 euros).
Scientologists often go to work for the organization because that way,
their courses are supposedly free. But should they decide to leave the
church, they will have to pay back the total price of the courses they
took. Scientology has various contracts with durations ranging from
two-and-a-half years to five years, or for a billion years -- since
members believe themselves to be immortal!    

SUBHEAD: Making a robot    

The unacknowledged goal of Scientology is to teach its followers
absolute obedience to its authority. "After a few years, I had become a
genuine robot. I was ready to defend scientology at any cost," Roger
Gonnet admits. "Scientology convinces people that they are profoundly
flawed; the way to improve is spending enormous sums of money to reach
the upper OT levels." The former member adds: "And by defending
Scientology with body and soul."

Reports of expulsion are mandatory. Excommunications from Scientology
are made in writing, publicly, in sixteen languages on one of their
websites (www.rtc.org/) established for this purpose, states Gonnet.

Scientology teaches its members how they are required to behave. These
indoctrination sessions can last hours and even whole days. They are
spread out over months, even years. "It's worse than a major military
attack!" says a former member. And of course, in case of an error,
Scientology also has its own "justice" system. Anyone with an "ethics
folder" accusation must go before a "committee of evidence", which is
actually a tribunal. If you are summoned by this pseudo-jurisdiction,
your judgment is certain. You do not have a lawyer, are rarely allowed
to testify, and are absent most of the time. These evaluations are
practised undercover, by people with no legal competence. "My committee
of evidence lasted more than a week," recalls Roger Gonnet.    

Finally, Scientology has little tolerance for critics. It categorizes
them as "suppressive". Ron Hubbard stated that 2.5% of the world's
population are suppressive people. Here is how David Miscavige, the
current leader, plans to conquer his opponents: "We will shoot down the
suppressives like ducks in a pond."

The ultimate goal of Scientology is to have complete power over time,
matter, energy and space. In two words: Become Superman!

Beginning at a certain level, you supposedly gain the ability to
levitate a building, to displace yourself in time and so on. But it is
forbidden in Scientology to demonstrate these super powers to anyone,
because that might be traumatic, our apostate explains. Former members
of Scientology still continue to suffer from this fraud for a long time
after leaving the church. "The after-effects are incalculable, he
concludes. They rip lives apart."
    - Julie Barreau

(1) Roger Gonnet, author of La Secte [The Cult], Alban, and the website
www.antisectes.net

If you wish to report a problem with Scientology in Belgium, contact:
www.ciaosn.be

SIDEBAR:
HEAD: The power of censorship    

The creators of the subversive American TV serial South Park dared to
take on Scientology. In an hilarious episode called "Trapped in the
closet", they exposed the truth about the methods and religious secrets
of Scientology.

Stan, one of the four famous kids, takes a personality test at the
Church of Scientology to kill time. He learns, to his great surprise,
that he suffers from depression. Then he has other tests with the
church's famous instrument, the e-meter. Immediately, it shows
extraordinary results. The scientologists then take him for the
reincarnation of their guru, Ron Hubbard.    

The animated cartoon doesn't neglect Tom Cruise, the enthusiastic
ambassador of Scientology.  After Stan says his acting is poor, Cruise
locks himself in a closet and refuses to come out. John Travolta and
Nicole Kidman try to convince him to come out of the closet, a
reference to the actor's alleged homosexuality.

Scientology beliefs like the "Wall of fire" are also objects of
ridicule. "Trapped in the closet" is one of the more incisive satirical
episodes of this program. It was scheduled to be repeated on a British
channel in March 2006, but Scientology used its clout to prevent the
repeat broadcast -- and succeeded.

Comedy Central, the cable channel that produces and broadcasts the
series, suddenly decided to cancel the repeat broadcast of this
polemical episode. Tom Cruise may have threatened to boycott promotion
for the premiere of his current film, Mission Impossible III. The film
is, in fact, produced and distributed by Paramount, which owns the
Comedy Central channel.

And that's not all! South Park lost its chef in the battle. The
character of Jerome McElroy, the school cook, will not appear in future
episodes. Isaac Hayes' suave voice provides a high level of sarcasm to
the animated cartoons. The singer is a follower of Scientology. He
didn't appreciate this affront to his "beliefs", so he turned in his
audio apron.    

Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn't lose their sense of humour. They gave
Chef a spectacular finale. In the episode entitled "The return of
chef", Jerome McElroy is brainwashed by the Super Adventure Club,  a
reference to the Church of Scientology. This organization turns him
into a paedophile before he falls from a bridge onto the rocks below to
be burned, impaled, and finally devoured by a lion and a bear at the
same time!    

-- Julie Barreau

You can download these two episodes free at the site:
www.anti-scientologie.ch/Cruise-proselytisme.htm

And here, finally, is part 2, all about the upcoming trial... I've decided
not to add the second sidebar, which is background information about the
French trial resulting from the suicide of Patrick Vic in 1988. More detail
about this can be found on several websites.

From: Le Soir Magazine, Brussels, May 16, 2006, p. 10-12.

Original title: "BRUXELLES - Nouveau centre européen de la Scientologie"
By Julie Barreau

[Translator's note: Everything between square brackets is mine. I have used
my own invention "legal entity" as a translation for "personne morale",
partly because I don't have a specialist legal dictionary to hand. Maybe
there is a more common lawyerly translation, but I think mine is at least
fairly clear if YANAL.]

[SECOND PART OF MAIN ARTICLE, p. 14-17]

[headline]In the line of fire of Belgian justice

[sub-headline]Scientology to stand in the dock before the end of the year

After an investigation lasting nine years, with no less than 27 search
warrants executed and multiple complaints filed by former members, the
long-awaited trial of the Church of Scientology in Belgium is finally due
to start. The stakes are high, and the case will have repercussions far
outside our borders. For the very first time, Scientology itself could be
convicted as being a criminal organisation.

[sub-headline]Four main charges

The judicial investigation started in 1997, and concerned nine
Scientologists. The files on Scientology gathered since then, which take
up four meters, cover offenses from the end of the 1980's until 2004. The
drawing up of the formal charges that will complete matters will be
finished within two months from now. The investigation took this long
because two additional plaintiffs came forward. They are former members of
Scientology who had risen to high levels in the church hierarchy, and where
thus able to provide extremely important information. Four main charges
have been established: being a criminal organisation (1), fraud, the
illegal practice of medicine, and violations of the law on privacy.

[footnote] (1) According to Belgian law, a criminal organisation is a group
consisting of more than two people, which exists over a period of time,
with as its aim the concerted commission of criminal offenses to obtain,
directly or indirectly, material advantages, by using intimidation,
threats, violence, fraud or corruption, or by using commercial or other
entities to hide or facilitate the commission of such offenses. [end of
footnote]

Scientology until now has managed to avoid any convictions as a criminal
organisation. However, this legal concept is very important, because it is
the association "Church of Scientology Belgium" as a legal entity which is
on trial, not its individual officials. "The people responsible will
probably have made sure to be insolvent by the beginning of the trial. But
if the organisation itself is found guilty, things will be quite
different", explains Jean-Pierre Jouglas, a lawyer with Unafdi, the 'Union
nationale des Associations de Défense des Familles et de l'Individu
victimes de Sectes' [national union of defense groups for families and
individuals victimised by cults]. If the Church of Scientology were to be
found guilty on this charge, it would probably be instantly dissolved, on
the basis of the 1998 law on the criminal responsibility of legal entities.
[Tr.: IANAL, but I think this is the law that finally solved a longstanding
problem with Belgian criminal law: that only individual persons could be
found guilty of crimes, not the companies or organisations they were part
of.] At the same time, the judge could also order the confiscation of all
real estate it owns in Belgium, including the newly acquired buildings in
the Avenue de Waterloo in Brussels. What's more, such a conviction would
inflict serious damage on Scientology's attempts at creating an image of
respectability through its volunteer ministers and its various front
groups.

But we are not yet at that stage, the more so because in this matter
Belgian justice has to walk on eggshells. A conviction of Scientology as a
criminal organisation could provoke a serious diplomatic incident with the
United States, where the cult is considered respectable and has support at
the highest levels of government.

The charges of fraud on the other hand are easier to prove. The testimony
of the people who believe they have been defrauded by Scientology will
however be essential. "The prohibitive prices of courses which are sold to
members as well as the price of the e-meter may also be taken into
consideration", adds Jean-Pierre Jouglas. As to the illegal practice of
medicine, the prosecutors will build their case on the "purification", or
"sweating", courses prescribed to members. The expert explains: "during
these courses, Scientologists exercise, spend three hours a day in a sauna
and take hugely excessive doses of vitamins, which weakens them
considerably. The rest of the time is devoted to the lectures of L. Ron
Hubbard, the only intellectual nourishment members are allowed". The
auditing sessions, which are very similar to psychoanalytic sessions, may
also be taken into account.

The last point of the charges, violations of the privacy law, should be
able to be proven without any difficulty, thanks to the documents seized
during the raids. As Jean-Pierre Jouglas explains: "Scientology keeps a
file on every one of its members, containing everything that has been
'confessed' during auditing sessions".

[sub-headline]Defense through attack

With the charges almost finalised, both sides are now readying their arms.
The prosecutors are using all legal means at their disposal. Scientology on
its part has hired a number of well-known Brussels lawyers, and is working
on its defense strategy of... attacking the plaintiffs! Many victims of
Scientology don't have the courage to demand justice. Even after they've
left the Church, it still holds a considerable grip on its former members.
Jean-Pierre Jouglas explains: "Many victims never file a complaint. This is
because these people continue to think along the lines of the cult's belief
system for a long time. Such a break happens very gradually and is quite
distressing. Victims don't want to hear anything about Scientology anymore,
and are afraid to go beyond that because they are still intimidated." As an
illustration, not one of the plaintiffs in this case was willing to have
their identity revealed in this article. One plaintiff says: "When you
leave Scientology, all your values, all your truths fall apart, and you're
left in total confusion. You don't have any certainties left. You feel
guilty and afraid. The only thing you want to do is unplug the phone and
lock yourself in at home." In a stroke of luck for Scientology, its victims
continue to protect it indirectly. For those who might be brave enough to
go the authorities, it has several means at its disposal to persuade them
otherwise. The plaintiff: "Scientology knows all the weaknesses of each of
the plaintiffs, and knows how to manipulate them to achieve its aims. They
don't have scruples. They are well-trained, willing to do anything, and
think they're immortal. They are real kamikazes". In this case, three
people have been offered settlements for undisclosed amounts. Jean-Pierre
Jouglas explains: "Scientology's method to defend itself against any
charges is to pay the people who come forward to withdraw their complaint.
They usually pay the amount the plaintiff is demanding. With the plaintiff
gone, Scientology concludes that there has been no breach of the law.
What's more, plaintiffs are often in debt as a result of paying for
courses. They therefore often prefer getting their money back immediately,
rather than sit through ten years of legal proceedings". Other methods have
also been revealed by former members. "Through intimidation, spying,
slander, threats, harassment, dirty tricks, blackmail, and... suing people
at every possible opportunity. That's how Scientology defends itself",
Roger Gonnet, a former member, says angrily. The Church of Scientology has
its own intelligence service in Belgium, called the 'Office of Special
Affairs'. Jean-Pierre Jouglas adds: "Scientology thinks it wields all
powers. It has its own police, its own system of justice... It is really a
state within the state. The system of values of any country where it
installs itself is thus thought irrelevant. This is why the cult thinks it
is above any law that doesn't suit it. It threatens to blackmail its
supposed enemies with the information it gathers on them. Also,
confidential information revealed during auditing sessions is used to put
pressure on people to stay in the cult, or not do anything that might harm
it." But despite all of Scientology's efforts to keep its alleged crimes
from being put under the public spotlight and avoid a conviction, the trial
is definitely going ahead. In criminal law, even if the plaintiffs withdraw
their complaints, the judicial authorities continue their work.

All over the world, organisations that fight against cults are awaiting the
start of this trial with impatience. Will Belgium succeed where others have
failed? The 65 boxes of documents seized during the raids might make all
the difference...

- Julie Barreau.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Thanks to you and to Eldon for the excellent translation efforts! The trial
should be fun to watch...

[.............]

Best Regards

        Jens

- --
    Key ID 0x09723C12, jenst...@tingleff.org
        Analogue filtering / 5GHz RLAN / Mdk Linux / odds and ends
    http://www.tingleff.org/jensting/             +44 1223 211 585
 "And all I do is kiss you, through the bars of a rime" Dire Straits
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The whole thing should be finalized and webbed in one chunk shortly. As
I said (somewhere) this is an imporrtant and comprehensive article,
with references to the Patrice Vic trial and some points from Hubbard's
infamous "points of attack" HCOB about controlling the news media and
so forth. Strong stuff.

Regarding the seizure of ethics folders as evidence, you may recall
that there were simultaneous raids several years ago on both the
Brussels AND Paris orgs. You may also recall that the French were
highly chagrined by the mysterious disappearance of a huge stack of
legal files from the Palais de Justice during one case. It was one of
those events that "just can't happen" but did anyway.

The big deal here is that Scientology ITSELF -- as an organization --
is on trial for criminal charges. If it is found to be a criminal
enterprise, it could be permanently dissolved and forbidden to operate
in any form, under any name, in Belgium. And its assets could be
seized, including all those buildings it bought recently.

Could this be a sort of European "test case"? Stay tuned.