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CAP
LC 2008
www.coordiap.com |
|
REPORT
ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
SPIRITUAL AND THERAPEUTICAL MINORITIES IN FRANCE
Testimonies
: Introduction 1st
page 2nd 3rd
4th 5th 6th
7th Conclusion
Testimony
#19
Marseilles, March 29, 2000
Elvire
speaks for Christian Tal Schaller, a medical doctor from Geneva and his wife
Joan, a psychotherapist. They were raided and subjected to imprisonment and
harassment.
I represent Christian Tal Schaller and his wife Joan. They are both teachers
and writers of holistic health and personal development. Christian is also
the creator of "Vivez Soleil" ("Live with the Sun") publishing,
which promotes holistic health through its books.
They created the Holistic Health Research and Application Institute, and they
started organizing seminars in the spring of 1997. At dawn on October 10,
1997, three police battalions invaded the property during a fasting seminar.
Some were dressed in their regular uniform, others were in camouflage and
carried submachine guns. Their vehicles charged in all directions on the property
to prevent anyone from escaping. The policemen had a search warrant delivered
by Judge Fontaine of Grenoble, who was investigating the case of the Order
of the Solar Temple. They searched for 10 hours leaving no stone unturned
because they were convinced the Institute was a branch of the Order of the
Solar Temple. They had assumed a connection between "Vivez Soleil"
publishing and the Order of the Solar Temple. Christian's car had a sun painted
on it with the words "Vivez Soleil." They were convinced we were
preparing a mass suicide by fire. A participant asked the policemen what they
had come for. They answered: "to protect you because you are about to
be killed." We also discovered our phones had been tapped for months
and everything we did was being watched. They took away everything that could
be used as "evidence": Fabrics, pillows painted with suns, candles,
books - especially those on death and the afterlife - computer disks, diaries,
personal mail, the list of participants, uncashed checks - which were never
cashed because the police kept them for a year. Joan was taken to the police
station with some of the volunteers and participants. Others were taken to
Taulignan Town Hall which had been specially prepared for interrogation. They
endured a biased, abusive interrogation and body search.
They were all released shortly after, except Joan and Christian who had to
spend the night at the police station in a dirty cell on filthy mattresses.
The policemen found absolutely nothing to suggest the owners of Faujas were
gurus of a "dangerous cult." But they did press charges for the
premises not being up to code, for not being registered with the commerce
department, and for illegal work because of a few volunteers who had come
to help. On October 11, Le Dauphiné Libéré reported the
police raid at length, with big headlines and photographs of the property,
recounting in detail how the owners had been kept in custody. Two days later
it announced in a few lines that Christian and Joan had been released and
summoned to court for a violation of work legislation, but the report did
not withdraw the statements about the group being a cult.
Several newspapers took advantage of the situation to attack all alternative
healing methods such as fasting and colon cleansing.
After the whole saga was over, Christian and Joan set about to comply with
the legal requirements. But their request for a construction permit was refused
by the Mayor of Taulignan claiming that the road was too narrow and the water
supply insufficient. However the building next door, a center for mentally
handicapped persons, used the same road. At first some of our members did
not dare renew their subscription for fear of being harassed, and the membership
fell by over half. It became impossible for therapists to organize seminars
on the premises because the buildings could not be brought up to code.
The directors of the center lost their credibility and could not repay the
friends who had helped them. In 1998, they were both fined 50,000 FF and were
forbidden to organize seminars on health for five years, which according to
their lawyers bore no relationship to the events. This penalty is totally
out of proportion with the charges brought against them. Today, they have
taken the matter to the supreme court and the case is in progress. More recently
the URSSAF (French Work Bureau) imposed a fine of 80,000 FF, despite the fact
that Christian and Joan deny the accusation of illegal work: Their center
functions like any other spiritual center which welcomes volunteers. These
events have had serious consequences: They receive anonymous hate mail and
phone calls, and this has created a new breed of patients who threaten to
denounce the center to the anti-cult organizations as a way of avoiding paying
their dues. So, what should we do now? On one hand they demand fines and on
the other, they prevent people from working...
Testimony
#20
Marseilles, March 29, 2000
Robert
lost his position as president of an organic cooperative and was harrassed
by the media.
I am a Scientologist, and as such I actively work in the field of drug prevention
in Marseilles. We have information stands in the northern districts of Marseilles
where drugs are rampant. We pass out flyers giving seven reasons for avoiding
drugs, and information booklets on cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, and various
other drugs.
Seven years ago my wife and I joined an organic products cooperative. It was
running at a loss. We rolled up our sleeves and saved the situation, and as
a result I was elected president of the board of directors. I never talked
about Scientology at work as I considered it a private matter.
Last September, M6 (TV channel) came to film our drug information stand in
Marseilles. During the broadcast they put "GALIBERT, Robert, Scientologist"
in big letters, instead of the more obvious subtitle "Leader of the association
NO to DRUGS, YES to LIFE."
The next morning I received many phone calls, one of them from the panic-stricken
manager of the cooperative. We held an emergency meeting of the board of directors
and they unanimously asked me to resign. I asked why since I did work that
everybody appreciated. The five employees of the cooperative were afraid of
losing their jobs. They said that as an organic cooperative we were already
considered unusual, so if people thought the cooperative is managed by a Scientologist
the whole thing would fall apart.
I personally knew many of the members and I honestly don't think there would
have been much of a problem. But we live in a climate of fear. I tried to
reason with the board of directors but without success, so I decided to resign.
Testimony #21
Marseilles, March 29, 2000
Alain
is a radio host. When he started allowing members of minority religions to
express themselves on the air, he was fired by the directors of the radio
station he was working for. He hasn't been able to get a job in the industry
since.
I don't belong to any spiritual organization. I was curious about Scientology,
so I wanted to have Scientologists speak on my show. I didn't know anything
about the "cult phenomenon", and even less about Scientology. For
two months, I did research, starting with a visit to ADFI and the CCMM [two
"anti-cult organizations].What I was told there was not really interesting.
I started asking various people what they knew about Scientology and the kind
of answer I got was: "They're drug dealers." I was quite naïve
about the whole thing, so I went to the Lyons Church of Scientology and asked
Scientologists questions like: "I heard, you guys are drug dealers? tell
me about it." Then they told me about their involvement in drug prevention
and rehabilitation. It was quite a different story!
I talked at length with Scientologists. They are decent people. I read some
of their literature and liked it very much. I think Ron Hubbard is a remarkable
man. So I did a positive show about Scientology. Soon thereafter, I was asked
to meet the radio station's Board of Directors to justify what I did in that
show. I realized most of them knew absolutely nothing about the subject. They
had never even seen a book on Scientology. But just because this movement
has a bad reputation, the media feels it has to repeat the derogatory comments,
when really it's supposed to inform people.
On another show, I invited a person from another group, the Mandarom, a charming
older person, but my colleagues barely acknowledged his presence. The directors
called me again and asked me why I was inviting this type of person on the
show. I replied that I wanted to let them give their side of the story, which
is normal in a democratic society. Then the director said: " We are sponsored
by the local shopkeepers and when they hear this on the air, we get these
angry calls."
Fast forward to 1996 in Lyons, and the Church of Scientology trial there.
I went to see the station director and told him I wanted to invite Scientologists
on my show because they hadn't been invited by any other local media. On FR3,
a reporter was talking about the "trial of frauds", that sort of
hateful stuff, without giving them a chance to counter these accusations.
One cannot just say these things. I am not taking sides, but one should at
least be fair about it. So I wanted to invite them, but my director refused.
I persisted, but the Scientologists chose to decline. They had enough problems
as it was.
During the trial, a local TV station called TLM organized a show on cults
in general. I was invited to speak as a witness. During the show, there was
a panel of self-proclaimed specialists. After speaking with them, I realized
none of them knew what Scientology or Mandarom was. In fact, they didn't even
want to know. Some of them had thick files. For them, all these groups were
dangerous. They have personal reasons to hate them. It is really shocking
to see a whole panel of people nodding in agreement when they clearly haven't
a clue. At one point, I exploded in anger, because they were talking nonsense
about Scientology, which they obviously knew nothing about. I said all the
good things I thought of Ron Hubbard. I told them to read the books first,
then talk. I'd been introduced as a radio announcer. Two days after that show,
I was fired on the spot from the radio station.
So far I've met no one in the radio or television industry who agrees with
me that it might be interesting to have a member of Scientology or Moon on
a show. It hasn't even crossed their minds. I find it idiotic.
Today in France, there is a growing trend towards atheism and anti-religious
materialism. Everything that revolves around spirituality is not understood.
Spiritual movements are being systematically attacked.
Testimony # 22
Marseilles, 29 March, 2000
Assani
and Paule are members of an organization that promotes peace. They have been
refused permission to hold events in public places.
We belong to "Le Centre Sri Chimnoy." We organize cultural activities,
concerts, sporting events, races-always on the theme of peace-where we never
do any proselytizing. We've lived in France for 25 years and have been subjected
to pressures and attacks from ADFI in France and the GEMPPI (a group that
investigates various philosophical groups) in Marseilles.
In October 1997, our association got an authorization to hold a concert at
the Italian Cultural Institute. Two days before the concert, we received a
letter stating "In agreement with the Italian General Consulate, I would
like to inform you that the hall will not be available due to a lack of personnel."
I met with the Consul and he told me he had received a phone call telling
him our association was on a the list of cults, and so couldn't accommodate
us.
In 1995, we invited a group of Swiss musicians to the Sainte Trinité
Church in Marseilles. The concert was planned for March 19. On March 14 we
received a letter from the priest canceling the concert : "I am forced
to withdraw your approval to hold a concert in our Church on March 19. Unfortunately,
you omitted to tell us that you are considered a cult and that you have been
refused access in numerous places. I do not consider you a cult, but you will
understand that I do not have the right to scandalize Christians who can't
always see the difference between spirituality and a cult."
There are hundreds of similar cases where we have not been welcomed in various
parts of France.
We organize a cultural event each year called the International Peace Run
which is open to everyone. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world participate
each year and France is the only country that has refused, several times,
to grant passage to the runners. "Anti-cult" individuals follow
the course of the race. This year they were in a car taking pictures. They
intervene as late as possible on the eve of the event so it's too late for
us to do anything about it.
In Montpellier I run a successful vegetarian restaurant. We were fully accepted
by the community. Five years ago La Gazette published a two-page article with
the title: "Cult - such a nice little restaurant." This article
said the restaurant was the headquarters of a "dangerous cult":
We are vegetarians, we run, we are chaste, we take showers every day before
meditating, we smile in the restaurant and we have a guru--that's the worst
part...
When we arrived in Montpellier ten years ago we had the use of municipal halls
without any problem. We organized a Sri Chimnoy concert in 1991 in the 'Parc
des Expositions', with approval from City Hall. When I requested approval
to hold a concert in the same park in 1995, it was denied. The park managers
told me : "We don't have a problem with you. Last time you behaved decently
and paid. But we can't get approval from City Hall because you are part of
this list."
Last year we organized a concert in Paris. A friend told me, "The district
City Hall called me. They tried to convince me you were awful people, but
it didn't work. Don't worry."
For other events, we did manage to obtain a stadium. The sports manager at
City Hall is a real friend and he participates in our runs. He knows us so
well he forgot we are portrayed as a dangerous cult and he gave us approval
for regular races, once a month. So we started passing out flyers to invite
people to a race. The next day a newspaper ran an article entitled: "The
cult is running."
Testimony #23
Marseilles, 29 March 2000
Marie,
president of the Espace Manuel, had her association relegated to the status
of a "cult" due to the complaint of one person-a member's husband.
I am the president of the "Espace Manuel" association in Aix-en-Provence.
Our group manages a self-improvement and artistic center that offers activities
such as creative dance and relaxation for groups and individuals. We also
organize lectures. Our association started in September 1992 under the name
"Association Energie et Création Aix-Lubéron." We
were extremely surprised to find out on July 18, 1996, in the magazine L'Express,
that our association was considered to be a cult. We discovered that this
came about as a result of a divorce procedure involving one of our members.
A jealous husband had been upset by his wife's involvement in the personal
development program she was following with one of our colleagues. The man
attempted to use the fact that we were teaching personal development in a
group environment to help with his divorce, and he actually lodged a complaint
in Besançon in 1995. Due to this, ADFI (the French anti-cult organization)
now has a file on us and considers us a cult. The RG (French intelligence
agency) was also involved in the matter. We have had several contacts with
the RG and they told us that the only element they had against us was this
single complaint.
After that we were treated like "the plague" and banned by the Aix-en-Provence
local authorities. As a result, we created a new association called "Espace
Manuel" in September 1997. The new association was created with a status
that is actually closer to what we do and to the current situation. From 1996
to 1999 the Tourist Office of Aix-en-Provence refused to promote our documents.
And the association responsible for organizing the fair of groups in Aix refused
to let us participate. Our documents are still not being circulated in the
youth cultural centers or in any institution linked to the city of Aix-en-Provence.
We also had a problem with the "Millepertuis et Sarriette" fair
in Puyricard in February 2000. Since we were considered a cult they said it
was not appropriate for us to be at this exhibition.
The association "Graine de vie" also had trouble getting a grant
from the city of Aix-en-Provence simply because they worked with "Espace
Manuel." In November 1999, we were refused access to the "Artemisia"
fair in Marseilles.
Since January 1996 we have been the target of slanderous comments regarding
our association and its work. Since 1996, we have had no contact with the
political or administrative authorities of the city of Aix-en-Provence. Though
nobody came to investigate or talk to us, I recently learned that our lectures
are under surveillance by the municipal services.
Testimony #24
Marseilles, 29 March, 2000
Josianne
has first-hand experience of the prejudice and discrimination against various
groups in her hometown of Nîmes.
Following the publishing of an article in a small local newspaper that presented
a global view of "cults" in the Gard region, there was a meeting
in the Nîmes library. I attended and was surprised to hear the name
of a small association I was a part of included on a list of "suspicious"
movements.
This association was created so that people who wanted to do sports, a pottery
course, all sorts of things, could do so. We also organize conferences. We
invited a well-known hairdresser from Paris. He came to Nîmes to give
a lecture called "Hair, tell me about myself." People from the anti-cult
groups called the City Hall saying that we were totally weird and irresponsible
and that they should be ashamed for renting us a hall. The only condition
we had when we formed our group was not to make it political, religious, or
philosophical. You can't be more independent than that. I don't know how we
can be accused of being a cult because for us it is a fundamental precept
of our members that everyone's belief is respected.
In a conference on cults, I heard a guy saying horrible things especially
against people involved in sophrology, personal awareness, naturopaths, and
people who eat organically. He named a few associations. The final straw was
when he asked: "Does anyone here bank at the "Banque Populaire?"
Most teachers use this bank. I raised my hand and he said: "Do you know
that the computer system of the "Banque Populaire" is managed by
Scientologists?" I asked for information about this from my banker who
was befuddled. He asked his headquarters and they confirmed that they ordered
a computer program. After further research it seemed the company they ordered
the program from had some link with Scientology. The order was cancelled.
The EDF (the national electricity Department) had ordered the same program
and they cancelled their order as well. I think any spiritual movement has
the right to have competent persons amongst its members.
During the conference on "cults", someone asked the lecturer whether
Masonic lodges could be considered a cult and he answered forcefully "Absolutely
not!" The person who gave the conference was from the Ministry of Youth
and Sports in Montpellier.
There are people in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education
and the Mayor's office who are in charge of keeping an eye on what they call
cults. I met the person in charge of the file at City Hall and explained to
her what happened with our lecture in Nîmes. His reply was: "Don't
worry, we won't pay attention to what they say anymore."
About 15 years ago, I was a pre-school teacher. We were asked to work on a
social and environmental theme. The whole town was full of posters for the
Sesame fair, which promotes personal well-being, life improvement and alternative
medicine in Nîmes. I received an official reprimand for bringing a flier
into my class about that fair and not respecting separation of Church and
State. They said that the fair was not non-religious. I go to this fair every
year and I have never observed a religious aspect of it.
I informed the organizers of the fair what happened. They sent me 3 free tickets
which I sent to the authorities of the National Education Board and to an
academic inspector. I had hoped they would go to the fair and see for themselves
that it was non-religious, or be able to identify for me the religious aspects
that I had been unable to see for myself. I wanted to know what fault I had
committed. None of the free tickets were used and I still don't have an answer
to my question.***
Testimony #25
Marseilles, 29 March, 2000
Didier
was thrown out of his music group due to his religious beliefs.
I am a musician, arranger and composer. For several years, I had worked with
a group that was well known in the Languedoc region called "Ricoune et
les Counasses." The leader of the group knew the mayors of all the surrounding
villages very well, and all the members of festival committees too. He was
told that people, apparently from the Renseignements Généraux,
had been to see the mayors and the heads of festival committees to tell them
that I belonged to a 'cult' and that I should be thrown out.
At first, we didn't let them get the better of us. However, my friends criticized
the fact that I wore the symbol of the Raëlian religion to which I belong,
even though they wear the cross of their religion. I don't see why I shouldn't
display who I am if they can display who they are. It's a question of personal
freedom, and I didn't proselytize to anyone.
The band did so well that we were contacted by a major recording company:
EMU Music. They came from Paris by plane to hear us. We signed a contract
and we went to Paris to record. One week after the recording the group asked
to see me. They told me they were throwing me out of the band because I was
Raëlian. They feared for the group's career. They were afraid journalists
would say the group was a cult. They repeated all the rumors they had heard,
though they had read Raël's books and had enjoyed them. As I was being
thrown out because I belonged to the Raëlian religion, I made them sign
a document regarding their reasons. They justified it by saying it was for
"marketing reasons, due to my philosophical beliefs."
For some unknown reason, the single we had recorded never saw the light of
day and the group was the loser in the affair. Now they're going nowhere and
I have my own recording studio.
There's been a big change since the 1970's. At that time, it was fashionable
to have a spiritual guide, a philosophy. Now, the turnaround is total. You're
considered retarded if you follow ideas that appeal to you, or if you're a
little out of the ordinary. In the musical world, I was surprised to see how
narrow-minded people have become. They are ready to go and demonstrate for
their rights as professional performers, but nobody is ready to go and demonstrate
for freedom, in particular, freedom of speech. Being an artist also means
defending freedoms and denouncing whatever is wrong so that everyone can be
who they are.
Testimonies : Introduction 1st page 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Conclusion