Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 5, Issue 32
11/19/2000
by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2000

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 ONElist. Email
weekinreview-subscribe@onelist.com or see http://www.onelist.com
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

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>
Message-ID: <8v37fo$r8l@...>

#####

> 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@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1001114122641.114A-100000@...>

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>
Message-ID: <vhle1t4me9ocm7f984vdf1rgcp9mqnplhi@...>

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>

#####

> 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@...>

-end-