NEWS: UN rejects Scientology Nazi claim as puerile
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AP Worldstream
March 03, 1998
U.N. investigator rejects as 'puerile' Scientology's Nazi claim
By Alexander G. Higgins
GENEVA - The U.N. investigator on religious freedom Tuesday rejected as
"puerile" the Church of Scientology's comparison of modern Germany to
the Nazis' Third Reich.
But a 28-page report by Abdelfattah Amor said Germany could do more to
assure the protection of religious rights.
The German government "beyond day-to- day management, must implement a
strategy to prevent intolerance in the field of religion and belief,"
Amor said in the report to the U.N. Human Rights Commission.
Amor, a Tunisian lawyer, has been assigned by the 53-nation commission
to investigate claims of religious persecution in countries ranging from
China to Sudan.
He praised modern Germany's treatment of Jews, but said Muslims had
expressed concerns and that smaller religious groups also had
complaints.
Amor suggested the German government "introduce the teaching of Islam
into state schools in order to provide genuine religious instruction
free from indoctrination."
This would give Muslims "greater independence from foreign influence"
and would better convey values of tolerance of other religions, he said.
Amor's report stemmed from complaints to the commission from the Los
Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science
fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
The church, which claims 8 million members worldwide, has mounted an
advertising campaign that says German treatment of its 30,000 adherents,
such as banning them from public jobs, is reminiscent of Nazi
persecution of the Jews.
"Any comparison between modern Germany and Nazi Germany is so shocking
as to be meaningless and puerile," said Amor.
This view is "unanimously expressed" by representatives of other
religious minorities, Amor said. He also talked to Orthodox Christians,
Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baha'is, Bhagwans, Hare Krishnas and
members of the Unification Church.
The German government contends Scientology is a moneymaking organization
out to bilk its members.
The U.S. government, which has extended Scientology tax-free status as a
religion since 1993, has criticized the German treatment of the body.
Amor noted that the Protestant church, with 28.5 million members, and
the Roman Catholic, with 27.5, remain dominant in Germany, but that they
have reportedly suffered sharp declines in membership in recent years.
The Jewish community, which has about 50,000 members "enjoys a
privileged situation in the area of religious freedom," he said, noting
the instruction of Judaism is guaranteed and that the religion has
broadcasting rights.
Although there is some vandalism aimed at Jews, "it would appear that
the situation of the Jewish community in the area of religious freedom
is very satisfactory," Amor said.
Muslims, who maintain they, too, enjoy religious freedom, told him they
also want the tax-exempt status of "legal person" in public law which
Jews and the major Christian churches enjoy.
But German authorities said Muslims first must have a single spokesman
for the whole community.
Muslims, mainly of Turkish origin, number an estimated 2.5 million to 3
million, he said.
Amor based his report on an 11-day visit to Germany last September
during which he met with government officials and a broad range of
people from different religions.
DavisS
>GENEVA - The U.N. investigator on religious freedom Tuesday rejected as
"puerile" the Church of Scientology's comparison of modern Germany to the
Nazis' Third Reich.
Great to hear it. Glad to hear it said without waffling.
>But a 28-page report by Abdelfattah Amor said Germany could do more to
assure the protection of religious rights.
Uh oh.
>The German government "beyond day-to- day management, must implement a
strategy to prevent intolerance in the field of religion and belief,"
Amor said in the report to the U.N. Human Rights Commission.
Here it comes, the slow outside pitch...
>Amor, a Tunisian lawyer, has been assigned by the 53-nation commission
to investigate claims of religious persecution in countries ranging from
China to Sudan.
>He praised modern Germany's treatment of Jews, but said Muslims had
expressed concerns and that smaller religious groups also had
complaints.
Oy.
>Amor suggested the German government "introduce the teaching of Islam
into state schools in order to provide genuine religious instruction
free from indoctrination."
So, basically, to " implement a strategy to prevent intolerance in the field of
religion and belief", Germany must provide government-mandated Muslim religious
indoctrination if the locals demand it, in order to keep the children free from
religious indoctrination.
>This would give Muslims "greater independence from foreign influence"
and would better convey values of tolerance of other religions, he said.
Foreign influence?!?!?!? They're IN Germany! Scientology ain't got the corner
market on doublethink.
Sometimes I just want to laugh and cry simultaneously.
Governments should get out of the religion business, period.
Davis
Jens Tingleff
In article <19980306183...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, dav...@aol.com
(DavisS) wrote:
> >GENEVA - The U.N. investigator on religious freedom Tuesday rejected as
> "puerile" the Church of Scientology's comparison of modern Germany to the
> Nazis' Third Reich.
>
> Great to hear it. Glad to hear it said without waffling.
>
[..]
>
> >Amor suggested the German government "introduce the teaching of Islam
> into state schools in order to provide genuine religious instruction
> free from indoctrination."
>
> So, basically, to " implement a strategy to prevent intolerance in the
field of
> religion and belief", Germany must provide government-mandated Muslim
religious
> indoctrination if the locals demand it, in order to keep the children
free from
> religious indoctrination.
>
I think one can inform about a religion without "providing ..
indoctrination". It's called "religious studies" and is an accepted subject
in schools in the civilised world.
There is a difference between "introducing the teachings" and
"indoctrination"; or at least that's what I think ;-)
>
> Sometimes I just want to laugh and cry simultaneously.
>
> Governments should get out of the religion business, period.
Well, I think that governments, in setting school curriculums (partly done
by national and partly done by local government), have a responsability to
see that the citizens get a reasonable amount of information. This can be a
great tooll in preventing prejudice.
Jens
------ No PGP signature, no authenticity. Vive La France!! ---------
http://www.imaginet.fr/~jensting/. Scientology[tm]?? Check it out at
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/mpoulter/scum.html *and*
http://www.scientology.org/. Report to alt.religion.scientology ;-)