Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 27
10/21/2001
by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2001

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant
postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding
week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as
they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of
significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors,
whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a
kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some
of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles
posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original
articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to
find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles
in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available. Subscriptions are
also available on Yahoo. Email weekinreview-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or
see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weekinreview. PDA channel available at
http://avantgo.com/channels/_add_channel.pl?cha_id=2900

Week in Review is archived at:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> CCHR

Scientology issued corrections on October 15th to a press release last
week which contained a typographical error in a web site URL. The original
URL has been taken by a Scientology critic and points to the Operation
Clambake web site.

"In the news release, 'CCHR Florida Awards US Dept. of Justice, Florida
Catholic Conference Representative,' issued on Friday, October 12, by
Citizens Commission on Human Rights over PR Newswire, we are advised by
the company that the second sentence of paragraph six should read
'www.psychassault.org' rather than 'www.psychassualt.org' as originally
issued inadvertently."

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#####

> China

China Daily reported on October 18th that an entry in a sculpture
symposium in Hangchun, China uses a quote from L. Ron Hubbard.

"The recent Fifth China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium
reflects the city's best wishes for tomorrow. With a theme of
'Friendship, Peace and Spring,' the symposium drew the attention of many
top artists. About 415 artists from 75 countries and regions submitted
1,662 sculpture proposals. Of them, 89 sculptors were selected to create
their sculptures during the symposium.

"Laury Dizengremel, a French sculptor residing in Britain, presented her
impressions of contemporary Chinese society through a foreigner's eyes.
One side of her sculpture, 'East Meets West,' features several carvings of
Chinese faces. On the other side of the sculpture, she put three more
faces, that of herself, another sculptor and a girl. Above these faces,
she carved a message in English and Chinese that reads: 'On the day when
we can fully trust each other, there will be peace on Earth. - L. Ron
Hubbard.'

"'The overall message is that trust among people is the driving factor
that will bring us the lasting peace we need in the world,' Dizengremel
said. 'I chose Hubbard's quotation because he was a great humanitarian and
philosopher who first visited China when he was 17, traveled the world
thereafter and offered a great many insights into the minds of people.'"

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#####

> Narconon

The Associated Press reported on October 16th that security has been
tightened at an ammunition factory in Oklahoma following Tom Cruise's
fly-by on his way to visit the nearby Narconon facility.

"The Army has requested restrictions on air space and state officials have
canceled part of an annual deer hunt in the latest moves to improve
security at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. The plant, which is also
the Defense Department's largest explosive storage facility, recently
changed the design of its security badges after two of them were stolen
from a contractor's truck.

"A plane carrying actor Tom Cruise flew over the plant in late September
because authorities said the pilot may have mistaken a half-mile long
cement pad for McAlester's airport, which is nearby. Cruise came to the
area to tour a drug treatment facility with ties to the Church of
Scientology, which he supports. The plant was put on lockdown until
officials investigated the incident."

This is Gloucestershire reported on October 15th that Narconon is denying
links to Scientology while trying to set up operations in Dryborook,
England.

"A drug rehabilitation charity which may set up shop in a Forest of Dean
village has denied being anything to do with a controversial religious
group. The charity Narconon admitted it had expressed an interest in
buying the Euroclydon Nursing Home in Drybrook, but has denied links with
the Church of Scientology. Noel Nile, director of drug education for
Narconon, has now spoken out in an effort to allay fears about the
organisation, which he describes as 'an international charity.'

"He said: 'It is non-religious and its sole purpose is to work towards a
drug-free society. As such, it enjoys the highest drug rehabilitation,
currently 70%, and uses no substitute drugs in its programme.' He said the
organisation's drug education programme has been used in schools
throughout the UK and was well respected.

"But he did admit the drugs rehabilitation programme used by Narconon was
developed with the research of one L. Ron Hubbard - the same Mr. Hubbard
who founded the Church of Scientology in 1954. And on the Church's own
website Narconon is in fact listed as a group 'affiliated' to the Church
of Scientology.

"News that the old people's home could become a drugs rehabilitation
centre has appalled not only people living close to the home but also
councilors and village traders. Vice-chairman of the parish council, Colin
Smith, said he was totally against a drug rehabilitation clinic in the
village. He said: 'This is definitely something we can do without, and
people living locally will be horrified at this news.' Council chairman
Mabel Beech was also concerned. She said: 'Such a development will add to
the problems we already have in Drybrook.'"

An anonymous author on October 17th released a description of conditions
in Narconon from the perspective of a former staff member.

"Narconon claims to have a 80% success rate. In the 7 months I was
involved with one of 2 Narconon facilities in California, over 80 people
attended and graduated from the program. I personally know that 71 of them
relapsed. Many who relapse return to Narconon, where they are put on a
degrading and punishing 'ethics cycle' where they are forced to perform
manual labor in order to 'make up damage' to the Narconon facility and
rejoin the group. Relapsed addicts who return are not only put to work,
but subject to even more intense efforts to get them to join the Co$ and
be brainwashed by the Narconon 'counselors.' The facility, only licensed
for a little over 32 patients by the State of California, had almost 50
because of all the relapsed graduates who returned.

"The facility was overcrowded and in violation of fire and health codes.
Pressed for time, the kitchen staff would defrost meat in the bathtubs
while the bathroom was still in use by students. Whole rooms had nothing
in them but beds from wall to wall, cramming students in. There was
minimal staff supervision because staff members were totally outnumbered.
On-site drug use was rampant and students were constantly getting high in
the facility or in the surrounding neighborhood after escaping unnoticed.
To deal with the lack of space at the actual facility, students were
placed in temporarily rented apartments that were far from staff
supervision. State authorities were unaware of these ad-hoc facilities and
no license had been granted for them.

"Many Narconon graduates at facilities world-wide go on to work at the
facility. This is often because the upper-level Scientologist counselors
who run the facilities convince them they can't afford to go out in to the
world or they will inevitably return to drug use. Their only chance at
sobriety is to work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day with minimal contact
with family, vacation time, free time or personal time at Narconon.
Narconon, the 'counselors' say, saved their life, so the patient must
'repay their debt' by working for Narconon. They are paid $50 a week to
start, and raises come only after they pass through various courses given
at the local Co$ organization. 'Counselors' have no formal training when
it comes to first aid, drug abuse treatment, medicine, counseling.

"Addicts and their families pay over $22,000 to go to Narconon after being
convinced through deception and lies that the program will save their life
or that of their addicted love one. A significant portion of this $22,000
goes to the Co$ as payment for classes staff members are required to take.
Furthermore, thousands of dollars out of that $22,000 goes to purchasing
books from the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), itself
an arm of Scientology and the 'publisher and copyright owner' of the books
Narconon uses (books that are all LRH's teachings).

"Narconon 'students' are subject to an unproven, quack medical practice of
the purification-rundown, where they sit in a sweltering sauna for hours
on end, taking harmful doses of vitamins, minerals and niacin. Never in
my time at this Narconon facility was there every a licensed medical
professional on staff, apart from a registered nurse who had gone through
the program herself. This nurse relapsed 3 times during the course of my
employment at the facility. Both students and staff members were
constantly getting kicked out or fired because of drug use, inappropriate
sexual conduct between staff members and students, or being deemed
'suppressive' by hardcore Co$ staff members.

"We would lie about insurance coverage. We would tell people we knew for a
fact that their insurance carrier would cover our program when in fact,
such carrier had never agreed to cover the Narconon program. We would lie
about our success rate, basing the statistics of a 70%-80% success rate on
decades old studies done by obscure European research firms. We would
constantly hear of graduates relapsing when their families would call mere
days after the students graduation, devastated that they had already
returned to drug use.

"When I left Narconon in an argument with my bosses because of my
gradually becoming more and more aware of what a criminal conspiracy
Narconon was and is, I was threatened by these Scientologist bosses of
mine. For weeks after I left they tracked me down and left threatening
messages on my answering machine."

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#####

> John and Claire Swazey

John and Claire Swazey posted their Suppressive Person Declare this week.
They have been Scientologists and contributors to the
alt.religion.scientology newsgroup.

"John and Claire have been associating with SPs for more than 2 years and
have continued to do so despite clear Church policy. They have not been
availing themselves of the true source data but have been getting false
data from the SPs they have been associating with. As of May 2001 they
went beyond associating with them and started assisting them in their
attempts to attack the Church by spreading Black PR. They have publicly
disavowed Scientology and Church management using a broad public medium
and have violated the trademarks of the church and the laws of the land.

"Claire has broadcast entheta about Church management and Scientology, and
associated with SPs using a broad public medium for more than 2 years. On
the 29th of April 2001 she publicly disavowed the Church of Scientology
and Church Management using a broad public medium, as well as giving enemy
lines about Senior Management terminals.

"Claire has also been associating with a Church staff member feeding him
entheta and false data about the Church resulting in his no longer wanting
to work as a staff member in the Church.

"Claire and John are guilty of the following suppressive acts: PUBLIC
DISAVOWAL OF SCIENTOLOGY OR SCIENTOLOGISTS IN GOOD STANDING WITH
SCIENTOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS. ENGAGING IN MALICIOUS RUMOR MONGERING TO
DESTROY THE AUTHORITY OR REPUT OF HIGHER OFFICERS OR THE LEADING NAMES OF
SCIENTOLOGY OR TO 'SAFEGUARD' A POSITION. CALCULATED EFFORTS TO DISRUPT
CHURCH SERVICES OR THE FLOW OF PUBLIC UP THE BRIDGE THROUGH THE CHURCHES.
ACTS CALCULATED TO MISUSE, INVALIDATE OR ALTER-IS LEGALLY OR IN ANY OTHER
WAY THE TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS OF DIANETICS AND SCIENTOLOGY. FAILURE
TO HANDLE OR DISAVOW AND DISCONNECT FROM A PERSON DEMONSTRABLY GUILTY OF
SUPPRESSIVE ACTS. IT IS A HIGH CRIME TO PUBLICLY DEPART SCIENTOLOGY.

"Any certificates or awards which may have been given to Claire and John
Swazey are hereby canceled. Any membership agreements they may have signed
are also hereby canceled and they have no right to use the Dianetics and
Scientology marks in any manner whatsoever. Should they come to their
senses and recant they are to do the steps A to E. Their only terminal is
the International Justice Chief via the Continental Justice Chief.

"WUS JUSTICE CHIEF
APPROVED BY INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE CHIEF"

Message-ID: <3bcf6bc7@...>

#####

> World Trade Centers

Messages from Scientology to members about their efforts in the wake of
the September 11th tragedy at the World Trade Centers continue to be
posted to a.r.s.

"If you've ever wanted a prospect-rich environment of monied top-drawer
Corporate America clients who need AND WANT your help, here it is. Tired
of beating your brains out with small-think Mom & Pop shops? Dreamed of
playing in the Big League? If I'm ever asked again, 'How do I get my
consulting practice going?' or 'How do I attract more clients?', my first
response is going to be, 'Did you got to New York?'

"We'll cover your immediate expenses. This is the defining moment in time
for you and all of us. So, swallow hard as anything that stops you now on
this one is Enemy. Recognize it as such, rise above it and get your butt
on a plane to New York or spend the rest of your life wishing you had.

"ML,
Harrison Quigley
Deputy Chairman
PCA Int'l

"From: 'Lynn Irons' <lynnirons@...>

"This is like the front and we are consumed with PT production but like in
any war, we need some back up and some fresh troops. We, in the WISE
Sector, are responsible for the catastrophe here in New York. The NY
event is a motivator. We, all of us, have not taken enough responsibility
to handle the breeding grounds of poverty and illiteracy that would spawn
the likes which created this destruction.

"Right now we have reaches for LRH admin tech from two multi-billionaires
- real reaches, both with huge numbers of staff. We have to produce what
is wanted and needed by the public immediately while doing establishment
actions to put something here that can deliver what is wanted and needed.
We need a little mest as well. Here's the list:

"1. HCA starter package.
2. Personnel Testing Software
3. $5,000 petty cash
4. Consultants to help handle the current reaches
5. Some reges
6. Some PRs to distribute OECs to VIPs and handle the press
7. Project I/C to get lots of guys on Consultant Training
8. Admin terminals

"People here are definitely higher toned than most places I have ever
been, very high literacy level and a real respect for competence."

The Northwest Signal from Ohio reported on October 15th on local
volunteers who went to New York following the disaster.

"Ohioans were among the ministering to the spiritually wounded but
unbroken souls of New York. Dianetics 'assists' are techniques employed by
the volunteer ministers to get the individual back in control of his mind
and his environment. They were used at Ground Zero to handle distraught
rescue workers and are now being used for the family and friends of the
victims. 'It is a real wake up call. We must do something to help,' said
volunteer minister Jack Via from Columbus, Ohio. 'Currently, we are
manning the phones to reach family members of the Cantor Fitzgerald
missing employees.'

"Via said the volunteers are using communication skills that a volunteer
minister of the Church of Scientology is trained to deliver so the
families can comfortably confront the administrative details that need to
be addressed by them. The volunteer ministers for the World Trade Center
relief effort are working out of the Church of Scientology of New York in
midtown Manhattan. Hundreds of Scientologists have come from as far away
as London and Italy, as well as Los Angeles and San Diego to help out in
the relief effort. And still hundreds more have been individuals off the
street who have heard the Church of Scientology is the one group in town
that will not turn away their offers of help.

"The church has put into the community more than 800 volunteer ministers
since the day of the tragedy and continues to accept applications of those
who wish to learn how to truly help others."

Ananova reported on October 16th that Scientology celebrity Isaac Hayes is
planning a concert to honor firefighters who lost their lives in New York.

"Isaac Hayes is to host a UK concert to honour firefighters killed and
injured in the New York terrorist attacks. The charity concert is an
annual event organised by the L Ron Hubbard Foundation and the Church of
Scientology. It will be held at L Ron Hubbard's home in East Grinstead,
Surrey, on Sunday, October 21. The concert will also feature performances
by Emmy Award Winner Carl Anderson and film composer Mark Isham. Proceeds
will go to the New York Fire Department Relief Fund, plus two local
charities."

A Scientology press release on October 18th publicized volunteer
ministers' work in New York.

"Shalon Goss is blond, pretty, and an aspiring artist. However, she will
also tell you that she is very much a minister. Goss, 20, from Los
Angeles is part of a group called the 'Scientology Volunteer Ministers'
who recently have showed up in large numbers to assist in the World Trade
Center relief effort. 'Being a Volunteer Minister is an amazing thing,'
said Goss. 'We have L. Ron Hubbard's technology to help. To know you have
this technology and not use it is a crime.'

"One way that Volunteer Ministers give aid at Ground Zero is by using
Hubbard's 'assist' technology. These are simple procedures employed by the
Volunteer Ministers to get an individual to confront and handle physical
difficulties by addressing spiritual trauma. Goss, who is studying to be
a photographer, dropped everything and came to New York in the wake of the
terrorist strike on the World Trade Center. 'You can't leave it up to the
person next door,' Goss said. 'You can't think that you can't make a
difference just because you are an individual.'

"In the first week after the strike on the World Trade Center, over 825
Scientology Volunteer Ministers donned their trademark bright yellow
shirts and made it down to Ground Zero administering thousands of the
Hubbard assists to the rescue workers. These included people of all ages
from as far away as Florida, California, and even London, England."

LA Weekly reported in its October 19-25 issue on Scientology's response to
the terrorist attack.

"The Scientology-fronted Citizens Commission on Human Rights' professed
role is to alert the citizenry to the dangers of psychiatry - its big
picture windows in the old Yale Electronics store on Sunset Boulevard are
dominated by posters depicting a man undergoing painful electric-shock
treatment. Since the beginning of this month, CCHR has been trying to
associate the September 11 attacks and their aftermath with evil shrinks.

"While CCHR's press releases sound a reasonable tone by denouncing the
over-prescribing of psychiatric drugs, they then move to uncertain ground
by pointing out that Osama bin Laden's lieutenant, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, is
an Egyptian psychiatrist and that African-embassy bomber Ali A. Mohamed is
a psychologist. Jane's Intelligence Review calls Al-Zawahiri a former
pediatrician and nowhere in the growing mountains of reports about al
Qaeda is Mohamed described as anything but a former U.S. Army sergeant who
trained bin Laden's militia. From there, CCHR makes the jump that
Al-Zawahiri and Mohamed (who has been in prison since 1998) 'are capable
of using drugs and other mental techniques to create suicide bombers
convinced of the glory of sacrifice and dying.' In other words, the
hijackers' meds made them do it, not Allah."

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#####

> New Zealand

The Evening Post in Wellington, New Zealand reported on October 19th that
Scientology's CCHR branch is helping prepare a lawsuit against a mental
health hospital which allegedly mistreated patients in the 1970s.

"Former Lake Alice child patients who say they were abused and tortured at
the mental institution in the 1970s are preparing to lodge criminal
complaints with the police. Psychiatric watchdog, the Citizens Commission
on Human Rights, said yesterday it was helping former patients who wanted
to file criminal charges against staff who administered electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT) and painful drugs as punishment.

"The Government last week said it had paid out $6.5 million in
compensation and apologised to 95 former patients for treatment they
received at the child and adolescent unit, near Marton, between 1972 and
1977. Commission director Steve Green, of Auckland, whose organisation
was founded by the Church of Scientology in 1969, said the Crown had
finally acknowledged 'torturous events'. He was helping three former
patients who wanted to file criminal complaints.

"Central Districts police commander, Superintendent Mark Lammas, of
Palmerston North, said he had spoken to an Auckland man who said he would
make a formal complaint. Mr. Lammas, whose district covers the now-closed
hospital, said he expected some correspondence from the man in the next
two weeks. When the complaint was received, police would consider it on
its merits.

"Another former patient, whom The Evening Post agreed not to name, said he
planned to lodge a complaint against former staff and particularly
psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks. He said staff had committed serious crimes and
they should be 'locked up.'

"But Dr. Leeks has been defended by Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at
Auckland University, John Werry. 'I don't want to condone what took place
but from what I knew of him, I find it hard to believe that he is cruel or
malicious.' Prof. Werry said, however, that the practices described in Sir
Rodney's report were 'as unacceptable then as it is now.'"

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#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported on a protest at the Toronto org on October 13th.

"About 1.5 hours starting at 1 pm. Gregg reported that a woman threatened
to have him arrested if he picketed in front of the 'chapel' because about
7 long term members were hiding there. Gregg continued to picket and told
them to go for it. No cops came by. As usual I plus an unknown person were
across the street. We had the usual collection of people coming by to tell
their Scientology stories and among us we gave away about 200 Xenu
flyers."

Keith Henson and "Kaeli" reported another protest in Toronto on October
20th

"It was Kaeli, Zeratul, Gregg and me plus we had a mystery guest (from
Europe) taping the our protest. We picketed from about 1 to 2:30 then
wondered off for a late lunch. As usual I was up the street a ways.
Flyer distribution was brisk, I ran through 125 or so. Several people
stopped to talk. The cult hid as usual, though some of the usual suspects
were seen."

"When Gregg began speaking, a woman shut the Org door in order not to hear
Gregg speak. Zeratul and I were on sign duty and continued walking around
the Org. I noticed that a dark haired woman with long curly hair was on a
cell phone, looking at us, then handed the cell phone to the Isaac Hayes
wannabe, who was still staring at us with a grin on his face. At 1:45 pm
we noticed two mounted police officers coming up the street and blocking
off the connection to Yonge Street. They ignored us.

"At around 2 pm, during the picket, an antiwar protest came up St. Mary
street. We decided that we did not want to be associated with any
political or even anti-war movement. So we stopped picketing, but stayed
nearby the Org anyhow. As soon as the protest dispersed, it was noticed
that the body routers were outside again, handing out flyers. We came back
to our picketing positions again. Near the end of the picket, the three of
us stood together, talking, when Al Buttnor came back again with a camera.
I suddenly asked him, 'Hey Al! Feel up any children lately?' He took off
going north on Yonge Street, leaving the new president of the Org, a
woman, standing alone to face us with her camera."

"Barb" protested in San Diego on the day of their publicized Dianetics
workshop on October 14th.

"The 'Church' of Scientology spent around $10,000 to have inserts placed
in all the San Diego papers last Wednesday, advertising a 4 hour
'Dianetics Workshop' to relieve people of their anxieties over terrorism
as well as any spare cash.

"Richard of Riverside joined me today, the other possible attendees were
no-shows. My sign said, 'WARNING! SCIENTOLOGY PROFITING FROM TERRORISM'
and Richard's said, 'SCIENTOLOGY, BAIT AND SWITCH FRAUD.' Unfortunately,
the only people I saw walking into the org today were Scientologists. A
rather grim young man out in front handed out ads for the Dianetics book
and some full color, slick paper brochures. This was to counter our
presence, with our Xenu fliers, an insert, 'Scientology Hurts People,' a
rather lengthy one 'Would you want a cult in your town? TOO LATE!' and
some 'Ron the War Zero' brochures.

"The workshop was scheduled for 12:30, so we got there at 11:30. At one
point a hefty blonde came out with a cell phone stuck to her head. Shortly
thereafter, a police cruiser arrived. I showed them the flier invoking
terrorism to sell their books, and both cops agreed that that sort of
advertising was rather despicable. I gave them some fliers, and Richard
asked if they'd been called by the org. Yes, they had. They stopped to
make sure we kept things peaceful. Now two more cops know about their
wretched scam!

"The phone research place across the street had some folks taking a smoke
break outside, so we crossed over and handed them fliers while the clam
boy glared at us. We put in an hour, just to warn any innocent raw meat
who might happen to arrive for the Dianetics workshop, but it looked like
the only interested parties already belonged to the cult."

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#####

> Switzerland

APA reported on October 12th that a court in Lausanne, Switzerland has
denied Scientology's request to lift restrictions on distributing leaflets
in public.

"The Scientology cult may deliver its papers to the public on the streets
of Lausanne only to a limited degree. On Friday, the Swiss Federal Court
rejected the request to continue activity pending the outcome of an
appeal. In 1998, Lausanne permitted the cult to distribute its papers on
public land only on one day a week. In addition to that, Scientology may
set up a stand on St. Francois Square only twice a month."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1011019072606.116B-100000@...>

-end-