The Associated Press article, "Germany Officials Call For Scientology Ban" that ran in the Tribune Dec. 10 omits the fact that the German Ministers of Interior conference Dec. 7 did not vote for a motion to instigate procedures to ban Scientology. Instead, those officials recognized that there is no evidence to support such a motion. Furthermore, Federal Minister of Interior Wolfgang Schauble in an interview with German Radio, also on Dec. 7, conceded that there is no legal basis for such ...

The interior ministers of Germany's 16 states have launched an investigation into the activities of the Church of Scientology, hoping to assemble evidence to support banning the U.S.-based organization from operating in Germany. But skeptics question whether such a move is politically and legally tenable — or wise. A similar move by state-level interior ministers in 1997 concluded in a report that "the Scientology organization, agenda and activities are marked by objectives that are fundamentally and permanently directed at abolishing the ...

The homeland of legendary church reformer Martin Luther said over the weekend it will seek to ban the Church of Scientology – an organization considered to be in conflict with Germany’s constitution. High level German officials, including all 16 state interior ministers, agreed to give the nation’s domestic intelligence agency the job of preparing necessary information to ban the organization, which is considered by most Christians a cult, according to The Associated Press. The ministers, including federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, ...

WOLFGANG Schaeuble, the German interior minister, launched a verbal assault against the Church of Scientology yesterday, accusing it of trying to gain political power. Mr Schaeuble and the country's 16 state interior ministers have declared Scientology unconstitutional. And in a newspaper interview, he said: "Scientology is working in Germany to secure political power and influence. Fundamental rights, including human rights like the right to equal treatment, are limited or abrogated. The democratic system is rejected." Mr Schaeuble and his state counterparts ...

Germany's domestic intelligence agencies are warning that an effort by the country's interior ministers to ban Scientology could fail. They say the group has failed to gain a foothold in German society and that there isn't enough evidence to support freezing its activities. A plan by Germany's state interior ministers to attempt to ban Scientology appears to have little chance of success. According to an assessment made by officials at the country's state and federal intelligence agencies, the Offices for the ...

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble launched a verbal assault against the Church of Scientology on Sunday, accusing it in a newspaper interview of trying to secure political power and influence in Germany. A spokeswoman for Scientology in Germany dismissed Schaeuble's allegations as "insane". Schaeuble and the country's 16 state interior ministers declared Scientology unconstitutional on Friday, opening the way for a possible ban on the organisation. "Scientology is also working in Germany to secure political power and influence," ...

The Church of Scientology vowed yesterday to invoke America’s help in its battle against the German government, which declared it unconstitutional last week in the first step towards an outright ban. Sabine Weber, president of the church in Berlin, said the organisation would drag the German government through the courts and expected to win, with support from the US State Department. “Criminal examinations [in the past] all ended in our favour,” said Weber. Last Friday the German government gave the security ...

Germany's interior ministers have faced frustrating setbacks fighting the far-right in court. A new tactic under consideration involves hitting organizations that support the party where it really hurts – in the wallet. [...] Some interior ministers have also voiced their support for using this tactic on other groups. "That must also be valid for left extreme or radical foreign establishments," Bouffier said. Such a foreign establishment could include the Church of Scientology, which German politicians have labelled as a money-making cult ...

Hamburg, Germany (AHN) - Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel wants a national ban in Germany on Scientology, which claims many high-profile adherents, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. Nagel's opposition to Scientology is premised on his view of the religion as a commercial enterprise and an anti-constitutional body with aggressive tactics. Nagel shared his thoughts with fellow state interior ministers in a gathering at Hamburg. He apparently has the state on his side. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution ...

Could footage of Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg's execution in Tom Cruise's new film have been sabotaged by Berlin officials? Eldad Beck Published: 10.07.07, 19:44 / Israel Culture Berlin - What is causing the series of mishaps taking place on the set of a movie starring Tom Cruise in the role of Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg - the man who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler? Over the weekend the movie's production team confirmed that footage for the movie entitled “Valkyrie," shot some ...

An alarming book, fresh demands for a ban and a rejection of those calls for a prohibition: the controversial Scientology organization has been all over the media, yet still aims to missionize Europe. Ursula Caberta expressed her opinion loud and clear: "Scientology is a dangerous, extremist organization which has declared war on Europe." As Commissioner for Scientology issues for Hamburg, Caberta is considered an expert on the subject. She has been observing the movement since 1992 and just presented her new ...

Senior politicians from Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition have rejected calls for a ban on the Scientology cult. A legal bid to outlaw it would fail because authorities haven't had time to build a proper case against the organization, they say. Politicians from Germany's two ruling parties have rejected calls for Scientology to be banned in Germany. A bid to outlaw Scientology may fail because Germany's domestic intelligence service is unlikely to have gathered enough evidence against it to back court action ...

HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 8 (UPI) — The interior minister of Hamburg, Germany, sees Scientology as a threat to his state's security. Scientology is not a religious community but an "extremist grouping" that needs to be banned, said Udo Nagel, the interior minister of the northern German state of Hamburg. According to Nagel, Germany’s Interior Ministry in Berlin is currently probing whether a ban of Scientology would hold up in court. Observers and virtually all political parties in Germany see Scientology as ...

Last Sunday, the German Protestant Church's religious cult specialist called Tom Cruise the "Goebbels of Scientology." This comparison of the War of the Worlds actor and the head of the Nazi propaganda machine is only the most recent example of a German official having harsh words for the Church of Scientology. Last month, a German Defense Ministry spokesman said Cruise couldn't film his movie at military sites because the actor had "publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult." ...