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Alt.Religion.Scientology Week In Review

Presenting Rod Keller's
alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review

Volume 5, Issue 32 - November 19 2000


Austria

Heidrun Beer reported that Scientology is putting pressure on her to give up the Internet domain scientology.at in Austria. "I was contacted by an Austrian lawyer with the request to give up the internet domain www.scientology.at. At the moment I more or less have parked this domain in order to hand it over to an actual, genuine and honest 'Reformed Church of Scientology' sooner or later. If it is an actual, genuine and honest Scientology movement which decides to act in a different organizational form, not as a church, the domain will be available for them as well. "I am expecting a lawsuit to happen. But I am not and never was an enemy of Scientology - I am just protesting the immense and probably irreparable damage the church managers have done to the original treasure of Scientology's materials and reputation, last but not least to the many trusting and idealistic members whose resources they have exploited and whose lives they have destroyed." Message-ID: 3a1ae885.47197792@newsact.lightlink.com

CCHR

The Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts reported on November 9th that an investigation has cleared a state hospital accused of restraining patients improperly. Scientology's CCHR branch presented claims that could not be verified by the investigators. "A federal agency investigating allegations that Westboro State Hospital improperly restrained juvenile patients cleared the hospital early last month. The federal Health Care Financing Administration investigated a complaint that the staff at Westboro State Hospital used a dangerous restraint technique to excessively disciplined juvenile inmates for seemingly minor infractions. "The Massachusetts Commission on Human Rights, an organization affiliated with the Church of Scientology, filed the complaint with HCFA earlier this year. HCFA said the allegations in the human rights' commission report were not substantiated. In a letter dated Oct. 30 addressed to Steve Scheibel, chief operating officer of the hospital, HCFA informed the hospital that the allegations of inappropriate restraint use resulting in injuries were unfounded. "Kevin M. Hall, New England director of the Commission on Human Rights, said HCFA investigators did not properly look into his complaint. Mr. Hall provided HCFA with names of a staff member and a patient at the hospital who told him during a visit there that the staff restrained three to five juveniles a day using the so-called 'face-down' restraint technique. "HCFA reviewed the hospital's restraint policy and found that the staff does use the face-down technique, but that it is in compliance with the hospital's policies, and that the method is tailored to individual patients. Mr. Hall alleged in his complaint that the face-down restraint caused injuries to juvenile patients. The report concurred with his finding, but it said that the injuries were minor and that the patients received immediate medical assessment, and required minimal first aid treatment." CCHR has released a new booklet on Psychiatry. From a Scientology press release: "'Psychiatry: A Human Rights Abuse and Global Failure' charges that psychiatry has created an international, multi-million dollar child drugging culture through the invention of such stigmatizing labels and fraudulent diagnoses as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is widely known. "Ms. Jan Eastgate, International President of CCHR, and a 23-year veteran of mental health reform, says, 'Psychiatrists ordering parents to put their children on drugs assures us of a deepening drug culture. Today's addictive, psychiatric drugs become tomorrow's street problem, with students selling them for up to $5 a pill, and crushing and snorting them to get high.' "CCHR's booklet isolates psychiatry's billing bible, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) as a pivotal reason for this explosion in psychotropic drug use. Arrived at by what psychiatrists call 'consensus,' which in reality is no more scientific or sophisticated than a vote of powerful insider hands, the DSM legitimized ADHD, which has garnered millions in government appropriations for psychiatry through its assault on the youth 'market.'" Message-ID: c7g81tot4vdvoqrdasp6phmj92s6i8ipgv@4ax.com Message-ID: 8v37fo$r8l@netaxs.com

Germany

ZDF reported on November 10th that officials in Stuttgart still see the influence of Scientology at the United Parcel Service. "In the opinion of consumer protection advocates, the Scientology organization is increasing its influence upon business. As an example, the Stuttgart consumer protection organization 'Aktion Bildungsinformation' gave the US company United Parcel Service. ABI Chairman Eberhard Kleinmann accused the parcel service of suspicious connections to Scientology as well as in regard to payments of monies and to management methods. In its response, UPS Deutschland Inc & Co OHG (Heuss) repudiated the charges: it was said that UPS did not approve of or promote Scientology, its philosophy, its theological or ideological goals in any way. It was said a temporary restraining order was in affect against those accusations by the ABI. "ABI has been fighting Scientology influence in business for years and says it has consulted with institutions, private persons and corporations, such as Daimler-Chrysler, for example. According to ABI findings, the Scientology-aligned World Literacy Crusade Foundation and US congressional representatives which accuse Germany of discrimination against religious minorities have received considerable finances from UPS. Besides that, it said, Scientology and its sub-organizations have closed delivery contracts with UPS. In addition, UPS was said to use management methods which resemble techniques of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard." Berliner Zeitung reported on November 13th that Scientology has requested access to Senate records on agencies that have opposed Scientology. "Those affected by the request for records access include the Interior Administration, which is responsible for Constitutional Security, the Youth Administration, which is responsible for sects, as well as the Commerce and Justice Administrations. In doing this Scientology is invoking the new freedom of information law which enables citizens access to recorded proceedings by the government. "A highly placed member of Scientology from Munich wants to look at over 30 folders in the Youth Administration alone. Much information will have been assembled there by the local sect commissioners of Berlin State. 'That is a highly sensitive area,' according to the agency. Sect commissioner staff are currently viewing the files in order to black out the sensitive text selections in the copies for Scientology. Opinions from other agencies, political judgments from other German states or security agency strategies are not supposed to be forwarded to third parties. "One Scientologist has already gotten access to folders in the Interior Administration. 'But the material practically contained nothing except press articles which were public anyway,' said Andreas Schmid von Puskas of the Interior Administration. "Ingo Lehmann, director of the so-called Human Rights Office of the Scientology Church Germany, justified the requests for files access, 'Because we are categorized as dangerous phantoms, we wanted to find out with which documents that was founded.' "'Scientology's requests are problematic in the highest degree,' said Roland Gewalt, the CDU faction's interior political spokesman. He said he promotes tightening up the freedom of information law." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1001114055756.118A-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1001114122641.114A-100000@darkstar.zippy

Ilse Hruby

Tilman Hausherr reported on a book reading by Ilse Hruby of her new book, My Marriage to a Scientologist. "The reading took place in the library's front hall, and was sponsored by Kiepert Book distributors. The actual reading was done by Natascha Kobitzsch. Thomas Gandow asked questions which Ilse Hruby answered. Besides that, an Austrian ex-Scientologist who draws comics was at the podium (Gerhard Foerster). He had painted a giant poster which was stuck up on the wall. It consisted of a Hubbard-head, an octopus and phrases from KSW (that is the one with which every course starts.) "There were two, or possibly four Scientologists there. Ute Koch and a gray-haired woman I didn't recognize. Ute Koch diligently wrote everything down, and even sketched the drawing. However she drew the octopus without the Hubbard-head; she wrote only 'LRH.' She looked unhappy. There were no disruptions. "Ilse won the audience over quickly, there was some laughter as she described certain illogical, but scientological methods of behavior. Thomas Gandow put on his Xenu baseball cap and told the Xenu story, which was a lot of fun." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1001114060350.118B-100000@darkstar.zippy

Lisa McPherson Trust

An Attendance estimate and other details from the Lisa McPherson Trust benefit held in Clearwater were posted to a.r.s this week by the concert organizers. "We would guesstimate that between 300 and 400 people attended the event. And this does not count the PI's and Scientologists who only listened from the parking lot or while cruising past. Earlier in the day the event was modestly attended. Later into the night the club was quite full. People came and went all day long, some leaving earlier and returning later in the evening. We feel that the event was a success on all levels, as its primary purpose was to educate the public about the Lisa McPherson Trust. The local press and radio coverage that featured the event and the MC, Jamie Kennedy. We owe a special thanks to Bubba at 98 Rock for the great time on his show, on the highest rated radio station in the Tampa Bay area." Message-ID: 3A16A49B.E85B77BF@tampamail.com

Protest Summary

Catarina Pamnell reported a protest in Copenhagen this week. "Place: Advanced Organization of Copenhagen, Denmark. Protesters: Ake, Birgitta, Catarina. Handlers: Anette, Erik. Leaflets: mostly Xenu, some Beware!, leaflet count unknown. "We had brought a bunch of leaflets, mostly bright yellow A5-sized Xenu. Starting before 16.00, we spent about 15-20 minutes handing out our Xenu leaflets to passerbys in the areas surrounding the org. This is a district with plenty of restaurants and cinemas, lots of foot traffic. Then we retreated to our dinner appointment, just in time to watch half a dozen Sea Orgers frantically but fruitlessly try to zoom in on the source of the Xenu revelations suddenly appearing in people's hands. That failing, they resorted to trying to clean the area of entheta, including the litter cans in the street. "Ake and Birgitta went out in time for the 18.00 org break. As I spotted Erik 'the video man' and Anette OSA PR Denmark in search of prey, I called Ake up on the mobile phone and asked him to have pity on the poor staffers and allow them to catch up. Birgitta (ex PR officer for the CoS in Malmoe, Sweden and once awarded 'PR officer of the year' for getting Hubbard quotes printed on all the milk cartons for a month in her region of Sweden) and Anette (current PR officer for the CoS in Denmark) were having a conversation. They were discussing the major critical tv show on scientology that was aired on Danish television in June 1999, where Birgitta had been one of the people interviewed (Jesse Prince was another)." Gregg Hagglund reported a protest this week in Toronto. "Picketers: Mike Argue & Gregg Hagglund. Intelligence Support Staff: Kaeli and Zeratul. Flier Count: 225. "I headed down to the org to speak with the Off Duty Police Officer the Co$ was forced to hire as usual. I ended up waiting out side the Dianetics Bookstore while he talked to one of the Scienopaths. This left me alone on the sidewalk with the Dan Bryenton. DB proceeded to get into my face. DB followed me and stood even closer to me. He was blowing smoke in my face. We were now within visual range of the Police Officer. Moments later the Officer came back out and we talked. DB had to be chased off by the cop from eavesdropping first as always. I filled him in on such interesting postings by DB as 'open Gregg season', the application of 'Rope a Dope' and street mugger and OSA Thug Ramsay's not so oblique threat of reference: 'the 'late' William G. Hagglund.' "DB took a few minutes and then started in on me. He was right into my face. Then DB gets a tap on his shoulder. It is the Officer. He wants a word. The Officer explains about harassing. DB says all he was doing was talking to me. The Officer tells DB, 'I got the distinct impression he doesn't want to talk to you or have you that close.' Then the Officer lowered his voice and got very serious. Dan listened intently for a moment and exclaimed, 'I wouldn't! I had my hands behind my back!' After that DB and the morning crew of OSA volunteer thugs, thieves, muggers, liars and hangers-on kept their distance, more or less. DB stayed away almost completely. "We picketed from 11 am to 12:30 and then from 2:30 pm to 4 pm. Mr. Ramsay was present hiding inside the store." Message-ID: 3a0fc896.11474716@news1.tninet.se Message-ID: vhle1t4me9ocm7f984vdf1rgcp9mqnplhi@4ax.com

Tampa Film Commission

Patricia Greenway reported that Scientology has been unsuccessful in attacking the in-production film The Profit through the Tampa Film Commission. "They received several annoying visits from Scientology's most prestigious front group, the Foundation for Religious Tolerance. In their rabid endeavors to glean info about the shooting of our film, 'The Profit,' the Scns became chronic nuisances and were asked to leave the Tampa Film Commission offices. Sources there said that 'those people were so obnoxious and annoying, we had to remove them from our offices. We TOLD them they were NOT allowed to solicit in our offices!'" Message-ID: 20001114231122.09320.00000220@ng-fa1.aol.com

Sweden

Catarina Pamnell reported that the Swedish Attorney General has dismissed a complaint from Scientology, who claimed they have been victims of a hate crime. "In a decision of Nov 11, 2000, the Swedish Attorney-General Hans Regner dismissed a complaint of incitement to violence against or discrediting of protected groups from the Church of Scientology of Sweden. He is the sole prosecutor in cases of press law violations, so that's where you would complain if you believe a newspaper article, book, television broadcast etc. contained illegal statements. "The CoS Sweden, through their lawyer Per Magnusson of Magnusson & Wahlin, had filed a 7-page complaint against a debate article written by a local politician, Margita Bjorklund, which had been printed in Gothenburg newspaper Goteborgs-Tidningen on September 8, 2000. In the article, Bjorklund discusses what she perceives as shortcomings in school laws, as she had found herself forced to vote for the acceptance of a Scientology-based school in her city, although she was strongly ideologically opposed to it. Scientology wanted this article prosecuted as a hate crime. "The AG dismisses this complaint 'since the article was published by a regular newspaper, the complaint would be against the publisher, rather than the author of the article. For a publisher to be punished by law for the contents of a publication, there must be ascertained a level of criminal intent by the author.' In this article, AG finds that the principal intent of the author is to debate issues related to her political assignment, not to threaten or discredit any particular group of people." Message-ID: 3a14e420.90021349@news1.tninet.se

Switzerland

Patricia Greenway researched Scientology's claim that Bob Minton has been charged with financial crimes in Switzerland. Her report was posted to a.r.s this week. "I made some calls to friends in the Swiss government. There is no case against Bob Minton in Switzerland. Not in any canton, not anywhere. There is no investigation underway in Switzerland regarding Bob's dealings in Nigeria or any of his dealings for that matter. Even if there were any interest in any of Bob's dealings, the Swiss investigative agencies are backlogged (20 years)." Message-ID: 20001112221542.28136.00001339@ng-fl1.aol.com

John Travolta

Reuters reported on November 17th that John Travolta plans some modifications to the film Battlefield Earth before it is released on video in Germany. "John Travolta wants to make some improvements to his Battlefield Earth flop inspired by Scientology before it is released on video in Germany, the movie's distributor said Friday. The sci-fi thriller, which was slammed by critics following its May release, will hit the shelves at video stores next year rather than in this quarter, German media group Intertainment said." Message-ID: uhka1tkegu7dhedh9ed1u8iuamsb483lt1@news.xs4all.nlBack to A.R.S. Week in Review

A.r.s. Week in Review is put together by Rod Keller © This collection is a mirror of  http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/ organised for WWW by Andreas Heldal-Lund. Only edits done by me is replacing word encapsuled in * or _ with bold and underscore, and made links into HTML.



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