State Department Comments on Scientology Ads

U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #9 (16 January 1997)

Briefer: Nicholas Burns

The following portion of the Daily Press Briefing concerns the Church of Scientology in Germany and in particular, a condemnation of the Church's newspaper ads in which the current treatment of Scientologists in Germany is compared to the treatment of Jews in the Nazi era. Also in this segment, Briefer Nicholas Burns indicates that the United States disagrees with Germany's view of Scientology as a cult (or commercial institution).

QUESTION:
The German Government's controversy with the Church of Scientology over the last days has become more aggressive. Probably this is a very German issue. The Germans seem to be concerned about the image that might change in the U.S. because even on the political side there are at least indications several Congress people wrote to the State Department raising concerns about the treatment of members of the Church of Scientology.

Do you have a position on this? Is the treatment of members of the Church of Scientology in Germany a violation of human rights, as some of members of Congress claim?

MR. BURNS:
We have an oft-expressed position on this. We've expressed our position a number of times, and it's the following: We believe that the members of the Church of Scientology have a right to practice their religion in Germany and in all other countries — the United States, all of the countries around the world.

If you look at our human rights reports from 1993 to 1996, we have commented, I think on a yearly basis, with the possible exception of one year in the middle, about the German Government's treatment of scientologists. We have been somewhat critical of the German Government's treatment of the scientologists. They have interfered, we believe, with the religious rights of many scientologists, among them American citizens and that's where we come in.

You know that Chic Correa and John Travolta and other noted American artists are scientologists. They have spoken out about this issue. Some Americans have had their religious rights infringed upon by the actions of the German Government.

There is another side to the story. Some of the scientologists have taken out full-page ads — advertisements — in the New York Times comparing the current German Government to the Nazi government. Those advertisements are outrageous and they are wrong. We have advised the scientology community not to run those ads because the German Government is a democratic government and it governs a free people. It is simply outrageous to compare the current German leadership to the Nazi area leadership.

We've told the scientologists this. And in this sense, we share the outrage of many Germans to see their government compared to the Nazis.

QUESTION:
Nick, can you explain how you —

MR. BURNS:
There's a follow-up, Barry, and then you ask your question.

QUESTION:
Would you say that — if you say there are some different judgments, would you go as far as to say that the treatment is actually a violation of human rights? Maybe just a different question. The German Government refers to testimonies by former members of the Church of Scientology in the U.S. saying that the church itself violates human rights and brainwashes members and there are a lot of accusations. That's something you don't take seriously?

MR. BURNS:
We have listen[ed] to the German Government. We've had many, many discussions and an on-going conversation with the German Government on this. We have a clear position. We believe that the German Government ought to respect the religious rights of the scientologists and all other religious communities in Germany. Since America citizens are involved, we believe we have a right to say this publicly. I believe if you'll look at our human rights report that will be coming out in just a couple of weeks, you'll see some reference to this.

But we've also taken the position, Barry, with the scientologist that they've made a great mistake in launching this public relations campaign which incorrectly, obviously, and outrageously links the current German Government to Nazi-type behavior.

QUESTION:
I was just going to ask you, how did you make this wish known that they don't persist on these ads? I mean the State Department.

MR. BURNS:
I had a meeting in my office — we've met with the scientologist community — the Bureau of European Affairs has, and I have done it personally — having encouraged the scientologists not to engage in this type of behavior. It's wrong.

QUESTION:
One key difference appears to be that the German Government has taken the official position that scientology is not a religion but it's a cult, a specially closed word. We have had cults in the United States. Some have ended tragically. You disagree, then, with that definition?

MR. BURNS:
Yes, we do.

QUESTION:
You do not believe that it is a cult?

MR. BURNS:
We believe that the scientologists have religious rights and that those rights ought to be respected.

QUESTION:
Do you know what the criteria is for deciding what group is a religion?

MR. BURNS:
Yes, obviously. This is a very important issue because there is a distinction between what one would normally recognize as a religion and cult. But we have chosen to think that they have religious rights — the scientologists — and therefore those rights ought to be respected. I can't cite those specific criteria, Judd, but I'm sure there are people in John Shattuck's bureau who can do that for you.

QUESTION:
Nick, thanks a lot.

MR. BURNS:
Thank you.