Lundi, 25.01. 2005
Volume 9 Issue 3
a.r.s. Week in Review
In this issue:
a.r.s. Week in Review 1/22/05
Dans ce volume:
> 1 - Un Architecte allemand déclare que les scientologues ne le paient pas - German architect
prosecuting delinquent Scientologists
> 2 - Ecoles scientologues danoises en cours de vérification Danish Hubbard schools
on probation
> 3 - Scientology PR in France Les relations publiques de la scientologie en France
> 4 - Scientology/Criminon PR in Tsunami region. Scientologie et sa façade Criminon
vont au Tsunami
> 5 - Scientology PR backfires Les Relations Publiques de la Scientologie en prennent un coup
> Help!
#####
> German architect prosecuting delinquent Scientologists
A "translation of an article published on January 20, 2005
in the Hamburger Abendblatt" German newspaper:
Message-ID: <41f26d85$1$16596$636a15ce@news.free.fr>
Building scientologue: l'architecte porte plainte
Hambourg: Von Berger a contruit pour l'organisation décriée. Il semble qu'il
n'ait pas touché un sou.
L'architecte hanséatique, ingénieur et expert public Georg-Leo von Berger
(70) attend depuis deux ans. Et il en a plus qu'assez: "Je suis une victime
de la scientologie, bien que je n'en ai jamais fait partie", explique Von
Berger. Waterfront Companyla société propriétaire du bâtiment sur Domstrasse
où réside la branche scientologue locale, lui devrait encore 100000 euros.
Selon lui, il essaie de récolter cet argent depuis 2002? Mais pas moyen de
mettre la main sur "Waterfront"; d'après ce qu'on sait au Group officiel qui
travaille sur la scientologie à Hambourg, Waterfront n'est qu'une boite
postale dans le réseau de l'organisation scientologue? Toutes les tentatives
d'obtenir les détails ont été refoulées, explique l'architecte.
.../...
"Scientology house: Architect brings charges
Hamburg Old Town: Von Berger built house for controversial organization. Apparently he never received any money.
The Hamburg-based architect, engineer and publicly appointed expert, Georg-Leo von Berger (70) has been kept waiting
for over two years. And now he has had enough: 'I'm a victim of Scientology,
even though I have never joined this organization,' said von Berger (70). Waterfront GmbH, the company that owns
the building on Domstrasse where the Hamburg branch of Scientology is located,
apparently still owes him around 100,000 euros. According to von Berger, he has been trying to get his money since
2002. But Waterfront is simply impossible to get hold of. According to the findings of the Hamburg Working Group
Scientology, Waterfront is a letter-box company within the network of the Scientology Organization. All attempts
to obtain the details of an addressee for his invoices have, according to the architect, been rebuffed.
In 1999 Berger had converted the building purchased by Waterfront in just three months of intensive work. On October
25 that year, half way through the construction phase, the head of Waterfront at the time, Robert Roseman, invited
him to his suite at the Vier Jahreszeiten Hotel and informed him that Scientology would be moving into the house
-- immediately. During that period Waterfront had an address in the city center -- Baumwall 7. But apparently not
even state agencies that tried to enforce penalty payments at that address were successful in their endeavor. Waterfront's
address subsequently changed to Domstrasse 9 -- the Scientology house extensively converted by von Berger.
Letters to that address, as von Berger alleges, never reached the right recipient: 'Although the Scientology president
was friendly and assured me that she would help me, I have still not been paid. I will now have a notice to pay
served on them officially and consult a lawyer so that I can get my money.' Ursula Caberta, head of the Working
Group Scientology commented: 'Disguise and deception is typical business conduct for Scientology. The Waterfront
corporation is registered in the business index, but there have not been any recent business activities.'
Von Berger, the architect, said: 'I'm ruining my health. I'm forced to carry on working to compensate for the outstanding
debts.' When asked about this yesterday, Frank Busch, spokesman for Scientology Hamburg, replied that Scientology
Hamburg was merely a tenant and could not
make any statement regarding the dispute between Waterfront and von Berger. An accountant in Horb-Altheim (German
state of Baden-Wurttemberg) who apparently works for Waterfront, was not
available to talk to the Abendblatt yesterday."
Message-ID: 41f215ed$1@news2.lightlink.com
#####
> 2Danish Hubbard schools on probation
Jyllands-Posten, Denmark
(http://www.jp.dk/login?url=indland/artikel:aid=2841378)
Private schools face shutdown, by Laurits Nansen and Sigrid Rasmussen,
Des écoles privées pourraient être fermées
January 21, 2005
summary:
"There was uncertainty about the quality of the education in four different private schools (2 of them "inspired"
by L. Ron Hubbard). It was doubtful if they had the same level of quality as the public schools and whether the
students learned democratic values. They are now under supervision, and risk losing goverment funding."
Résumé: il y a des doutes quant à la qualité de l'enseignement
reçu dans quatre écoles privées différentes, dont deux s'inspirent des travaux de Rob
Hubbard. On doute qu'elles soient de même niveau que les écoles publiques.
Hubbard-inspired schools:
"Kildeskolen in Næstved and Øresunds Internationale Skole by Amager."
Message-ID: 41f246c0$0$48722$edfadb0f@dread15.news.tele.dk
#####
> 3. Scientology PR in France
Les Relations Publiques scientologues en France
Roger Gonnet reported from France that a link from the site http://www.scientologie.tm.fr/fr/index.htm represented
a 13-year-old boy coming out of a coma after having received Scientology treatment as a miracle.
Rapport signalant qu'un des liens des sites scientologues en français parle
d'un enfant qui serait miraculeusement sorti du coma en raison des procédés scientologues appliqués
par sa mère scientologue.
Gonnet also reported that the "CAP COORDIAP" association more or less replaced the "Ethique et Liberté"
(Freedom) magazine as Scientology spokesystem in France. In this case, Scientology appeared to be disregarding
school diplomas to compete with psychiatry for the field of psychotherapy.
Autre rapport indiquant que le CAP COORDIAP a plus ou moins remplacé le journal
pamphlétaire de la scientologie "Ethique et Liberté". Il semble que la scientologie veuille
écarter les diplômes professionnels pour entrer en compétition ou combattre la psychiatrie.
Message-ID: 41eff99f$0$16411$636a15ce@news.free.fr
Message-ID: 41f26712$0$16590$636a15ce@news.free.fr
#####
> 4 - Scientology/Criminon PR in Tsunami region.
Scientologie et criminon dans la région touchée par le Tsunami
(http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/01/16/in_indonesia_some_groups_mix_relief_religion?pg=full)
Boston Globe
By Farah Stockman, January 16, 2005
"In Indonesia, some groups mix relief, religion
[...]
Mukhlis, a shy, lanky man in a blue shirt with a butterfly collar, did not know whether the Scientologists were
doctors or ministers when they invited him to lie on a cot for a two-fingered massage in a basement room of the
mosque where he camps out. 'I didn't have any thought about them," he said. 'They asked people who don't feel
very healthy to go to their place. After I got that [massage], it soothed my mind so that I could be a little bit
more relaxed about what happened, that I lost my family and my home.'
[...]
Over the past few decades, the Church of Scientology has shown up after earthquakes and disasters around the world,
including the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, where the group largely operated under a different name, and
in Beslan, during the hostage crisis at a school in the Russian city. In Beslan, the local government swiftly asked
law enforcement to shut down the group's operation, arguing that its psychological tactics could be harmful for
hostage survivors, according to Russian news reports.
But in Banda Aceh, the Church of Scientology is so unknown and trauma from the tsunami so widespread that it has
made swift inroads, giving massages to the Indonesian military and training university students and large groups
of volunteers. Scientology's major foothold in Indonesia seems to be a company called Criminon, which teaches Hubbard's
texts to juveniles in Indonesian prisons.
Under a banner that reads 'Penanganan,' which means trauma center in the local language, the Scientologists have
set up tents with cots where they administer nerve assists and an exercise they call a 'locational,' during which
a volunteer minister points to an object and asks a tsunami survivor to look closely at it. The last stage of the
counseling, Bromwell said, is called 'the technology,' where survivors close their eyes and run through details
of the disaster over and over again.
[...]
After the demonstration, Dr. Mohammad Taufik, a 41-year-old Indonesian gynecologist, said he thought the exercise
might be useful to relieve stress. He himself was stressed, faced with trying to reopen Banda Aceh's only mental
hospital in a matter of days, with only one psychiatrist, a few clean consultation rooms, and nearly an entire
population traumatized. He held a short, handwritten list of people and organizations that might help the hospital
get back on its feet. High on the list was Criminon.
'They are welcome to come,' he said of the Scientologists, although he acknowledged that he knew nothing about
them. 'We still have to confirm with the head of the mental hospital. We are still learning about them,' he said,
but added, 'we have to work with whatever we have.'"
---
>- Texas
(http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20050115-12296.shtml)
Borderland, El Paso Times
January 15, 2005
"Five members of the Church of Scientology Mission of El Paso will leave for Sri Lanka next week to help with
the relief efforts after the deadly tsunamis that last month killed about 157,000 people in 11 countries.
The five people -- all volunteering their time and taking leaves of absence from work or school -- will travel
to Asia on Wednesday and remain there for up to two months.
Their work in Sri Lanka, where about 31,000 people were killed, will consist mainly of providing mental relief
for victims, although they will also give first aid services and help in early reconstruction efforts."
Message-ID: 2sdku0hc5hok3jb47kasf76fr05ahvf7b5@4ax.com
Message-ID: BG9XNADW38367.183587963@anonymous.poster
#####
Les "Relations Publiques" scientologues lui coûtent cher:
(http://archivio.corriere.it/archivio/form.jsp)
"Je ne pouvais en croire mes oreilles! cette italienne, qui se disait scientologue,
- une organisation que je ne connais pas - a affirmé auprès du maire de Galle que la tente où
étaient logés les gens évacués était le fruit de leur travail! Quoi? Mais c'est
nous, la Protection civile italienne, qui avions fait le travail. J'ai fait remarquer ceci au chef de l'opposition
sri-lankaise, Ranil, avec qui je faisais la torunée des zones dévastées.
C'est le début de ce que raconte Mrs. Franca Nieri, de Toscane, propriétaire d'une usine de chaussures
dans la capitale de Ceylan et présidente du Conseil des affaires Ceylan-Italie. C'est touty à fait
impropre que la scientologie tente de s'approprier le travail d'assistance effectué par le Ministère
dans cette zone, ajoute avec indignation le chef de la protection civile italienne Marco Agnoloni, responsable
de la protection civile pour le Sri-Lanka méridional.
"Je dis depuis des années que dès qu'une catastrophe a lieu, on a droit à un cirque humanitaire.
Des exploiteurs dotés des meilleures intentions, mythomanes, mais pas toujours sans dangers. On devait aussi
s'y attendre ici. Avec cette scientologie, on a tout ce qu'il faut: ils ont le droit d'aider comme ils veulent,
tant qu'ils ne gènent pas les opérations, et qu'en plus, ils ne viennent pas s'attribuer le mérite
du travail que font les autres," grommelle, irrité et fatigué, le chef de la mission italienne
Agostino Miozzo.
La controverse a démarré hier, mais elle couvait depuis des jours. Désagréable, à
sept mille kilomètres de l'Italie, à 116 de la capitale sri-lankaise, dans l'une des villes les plus
dévastées, où le Tsunami a emporté 38000 vies et fait 700000 sans-abris. En lice, le
mauvais tour joué par la représentante turinoise du groupe controversé fondé par l'écrivain
américain Hubbard, souvent au coeur d'affaires pénales. L'accusation? Avoir tenté de faire
passer pour siennes les activités de la Protection Civile.
"On est arrivés là pour sauver nos compatriotes après le 28 décembre", se
souvient Marco Agnoloni. Le 30, notre système médical de pointe commençait et nous avons examiné
quelques 3000 personnes jusqu'ici (17 janvier). Le 31, on a monté nos tentes, servant à loger désormais
environ 1000 personnes, catholiques, bouddhistes, musulmans et hindous. Vers la fin de l'année, on a vu
débarquer trois turinois, deux gars et une fille. Le premier portait un uniforme similaire à ceux
de la portection civile, ce qui laissait supposer qu'il en faisait partie. En fait, ils étaient de "l'association
nationale des alpins". Mais dans ces zones de catastrophe, explique Roberto Farina, porte-parole de la protection
civile, on n'est pas là par intérêt personnel. On doit tous avoir un mandat spécifique.
Ces personnes sont inconnues de nous.
La fille, ouvertement scientologue, arrive à devenir la "secrétaire" du maire de Galle,
Mohamad Ariff. Bon, dit Mozzo, d'accord. Les problèmes commencent le dimanche 16, dans une réunion
à la mairie, avec les reporters locaux et en présence du chef de l'opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe,
de quelques adeptes scientologues, de deux pseudo-ouvriers de la Protection Civile, alors que Madame Franca, la
représentante de la scientologie essaie de faire avaler que les tentes sont le travail de son "église".
"Pour nous, c'était vraiment prendre un claque", sourit amèrement Roberto Fedeli, médecin.
Quoi? On était là quelques heures après la catastrophe pour apporter de l'aide payée
par l'argent donné par les italiens, et cette inconnue débarque et essaie de s'attribuer le mérite
du boulot?"
Hier, il y a eu réunion à notre Ambassade. Personne ne veut faire la guerre à la scientologie,
afin d'éviter de lui donner trop d'importance. Sur son site, la secte déclare "avoir aidé
à monter les tentes données par le gouvernement italien." La protection Civile nie. Dans la
soirée, ils ont décidé d'écrire un mot au Maire de Galle. L'en-tête est celle
du Cabinet du Premier Ministre, la signature est d'Agostino Miozzo, et on lit:
"Cher Monsieur Ariff,
Je tiens à porter à votre connaissance que l'équipe de la Protection Civile Italienne travaillant
dans le district de Galle est représentée par Roberto Fedeli et Marco Agnoloni. Pour éviter
de déplaisantes incompréhensions, je tiens à vous informer que nous ne reconnaissons pas comme
faisant partie de la Protection Civile Italienne certaines autres personnes coopérant avec vous ."
Costantino Muscau
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original italien:
«Sri Lanka, Scientology si attribuisce il merito dei soccorsi italiani»
La Protezione civile: si «appropriano» delle nostre tende
Tsunami, due ex alpini e una donna legati al gruppo religioso
Muscau Costantino
DAL NOSTRO INVIATO GALLE (Sri Lanka) - «Non credevo alle mie orecchie: quella signora italiana, che diceva
di essere di Scientology, organizzazione a me sconosciuta, sosteneva davanti al sindaco di Galle che la tendopoli
degli sfollati era opera loro.
Ma come! Se era frutto della fatica della Protezione civile italiana... L' ho fatto notare al capo dell' opposizione
singalese, Ranil, con cui stavo facendo un giro nelle zone disastrate».
Così comincia la testimonianza di Franca Nieri, toscana, titolare di un calzaturificio nella capitale singalese
e presidentessa del Business Council Italia-Sri Lanka. «Una scorrettezza totale, quella di Scientology: tentare
di appropriarsi del lavoro di soccorso che il Dipartimento della Presidenza del Consiglio effettua in questa zona»,
si indigna Marco Agnoloni, capo struttura della Protezione civile italiana nel Sud dello Sri Lanka.
«Da anni sostengo che, sempre sui luoghi dei grandi disastri, si accampa un circo Barnum umanitario. Con
profittatori a fin di bene, mitomani, e non sempre innocui: sarebbe stato strano se non fosse comparso anche qui.
Ci mancavano solo quelli di Scientology: liberi di far del bene a modo loro, purché non intralcino la nostra
azione e soprattutto non si prendano meriti che non hanno», sbuffa spazientito e stanco il capo missione
italiana, Agostino Miozzo.
Covava da giorni, ma ieri la polemica è deflagrata. Una polemica sgradevole, a 7 mila chilometri dall' Italia
e a 116 dalla capitale singalese, in una città tra le più colpite dal maremoto che ha causato oltre
38 mila morti e 700 mila senza tetto. Al centro, il presunto comportamento scorretto di una rappresentante torinese
della controversa confessione religiosa, fondata dallo scrittore americano Ron Hubbard e spesso finita al centro
di inchieste giudiziarie.
L' accusa è di aver voluto «mettere il cappello» di Scientology sull' attività della
nostra Protezione civile. «Siamo arrivati il 28 dicembre per recuperare i nostri connazionali - ricorda Marco
Agnoloni -. Il 30 ha cominciato a operare il Posto medico avanzato, che ha visitato 3 mila pazienti, e il 31 abbiamo
preso a montare le tende e a distribuirne a cattolici, buddisti, hindu e musulmani. Ora il campo ospita mille persone».
A cavallo di fine anno, però, arrivano anche 3 torinesi, due uomini e una donna. I primi due indossano una
divisa simile a quella degli appartenenti alla Protezione civile e lasciano credere di farne parte. In effetti
ne facevano parte, come iscritti all' Associazione nazionale alpini.
«Ma sui luoghi delle catastrofi - spiega Roberto Forina, responsabile della comunicazione per il Dipartimento
- non si arriva come Protezione civile a titolo personale. Si deve essere inquadrati con un mandato preciso. Questi
due signori per noi sono degli sconosciuti». La donna, dichiaratamente di Scientology, arriva a diventare
«segretaria» del sindaco di Galle, Mohamad Ariff. «E fin lì poco male - commenta Miozzo
-. I problemi sorgono quando...».
Quando, domenica 16, in una riunione in Comune con i giornalisti locali, alla presenza del capo dell' opposizione,
Ranil Wickremesinghe, di diversi adepti stranieri di Scientology, dei due sedicenti membri della Protezione civile,
della signora Franca: l' esponente di Scientology lascia intendere che la tendopoli azzurra è opera della
sua «Chiesa». «È stato uno schiaffo per noi - sorride amaro il medico Roberto Fedeli -.
Ma come? Siamo qui fin dalle prime ore della tragedia a dare una mano con i soldi degli italiani e ti compare una
sconosciuta che cerca di accaparrarsi meriti non suoi». Ieri, giorno di consultazioni in ambasciata. Nessuno
voleva fare la guerra a Scientology, per non darle importanza. Nel suo sito web la «Chiesa» dichiara
di «aver lavorato a montare 50 tende donate dal governo italiano».
Affermazione smentita dalla Protezione civile. In serata si decide per una lettera al sindaco di Galle, su carta
intestata della Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri, firma Agostino Miozzo: «Gentile signor Ariff, le comunico
che il team della Protezione civile del Governo italiano operante nel distretto di Galle è rappresentato
da Roberto Fedeli e Marco Agnoloni. Per evitare spiacevoli disguidi le comunico che non riconosciamo nessun' altra
persona che collabori con lei e dichiari di far parte della Protezione civile italiana». Costantino Muscau
La scheda LE VITTIME Secondo il ministero della Sanità di Colombo, in Sri Lanka lo tsunami del 26 dicembre
ha ucciso 38.195 persone (ma il bilancio potrebbe arrivare a 40 mila). I dispersi sono oltre seimila GLI AIUTI
I fondi raccolti in Italia per i Paesi colpiti dal maremoto saranno usati soprattutto in Sri Lanka, che con l'
Indonesia si è visto cancellare 38 milioni complessivi di debito con il governo italiano
> Scientology PR backfires
> California:
City rejects $10,000 request, Scientology link nixes donation
By Eugene Tong, dailynews.com, January 15, 2005
"SANTA CLARITA -- The city has declined a request from a group linked to the Church of Scientology that is
seeking donations to assist orphans in nations struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami. The Santa Clarita City Council
was considering a $10,000 donation to Los Angeles-based International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance
and ordered the city staff to conduct standard background checks, after foundation President Michelle Seward pleaded
for cash before the panel Tuesday.
But City Manager Ken Pulskamp, on advice from the city attorney, decided against the donation when staffers found
possible ties between the foundation and Scientology during the vetting process.
City spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said the First Amendment forbids government from making direct donations to religious
groups, and that there will be no further discussion of the request by the City Council.
'It was not abundantly clear whether or not they were members of the Church of Scientology, but there were enough
indications that gave us pause,' she said Friday. 'Our status as a government entity precludes us from donating
money to any religious organization, so we're erring
on the side of caution.' [...]"
Message-ID: 1105897864.865849.195360@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com
---
> Scientology PR backfires
> Italy
Corriere della Sera
(http://www.corriere.it/edicola/index.jsp?path=INTERNI&doc=TSU)
[Translated from Italian]
18.1.2005
"Galle (Sri Lanka) - 'I couldn't believe my own ears: that italian woman, who said to be of Scientology -
organization that I don't know - asserted in front of the mayor of Galle that the tent camp lodging the evacuated
was their work. What?! Actually it was the result of the
efforts of the Italian Civil Protection. I pointed that out with the chief of the cingalese opposition, Ranil,
with whom I was doing the round of the devastaded areas'".
The "problems start when on Sunday 16th, in a meeting in the City Hall with the local reporters and in the
presence of the chief of the opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, of a number of foreign Scientology adepts, of the
two self-styled Civil Protection workers and of Mrs. Franca, the Scientology representative implies that the blue
tents camp is the work of her church.
'To us it was like a slap in the face' smiles bitterly Roberto Fedeli, MD. 'What? We arrived here a few hours after
the catastrophe to bring help with the money Italian people donated, and then an unknown woman arrives and tries
to take merits that are not hers.'
Yesterday there was a consultation at our Embassy. Nobody wants to go to war with Scientology, to avoid giving
it much importance. On its website the church declares to "have helped pitching tents donated by the Italian
government'. A claim denied by the Civil Protection. In the evening they decide to write a letter to the mayor
of Galle. The heading is the Presidency of the Ministry Board [i.e. office of the Prime Minister], it is signed
by Agostino Miozzo and reads:
Dear Mr. Ariff, I inform you that the Civil Protection Team of the Italian government working in the district of
Galle is represented by Roberto Fedeli and Marco Agnoloni. To avoid unpleasant misunderstandings, I inform you
that we do not acknoledge any other person who's cooperating with you, and declares to be part of the Italian Civil
Protection'.
Costantino Muscau"
Message-ID: imbtu09onecc2glhk480vivdaffeo8tkn7@4ax.com
#####
> Help!
On 19 Jan 2005 Anonymous posted:
[Andreas Heldal-Lund] "grants anonymity to an ally but questions anonymity in a foe."
Week-in-Review Response:
Friend and foe alike are invited to post information about Scientology to alt.religion.scientology, anonymously
or otherwise. Translators, include url for verification for added credibility.
Usenet experts, R. Keller used to regularly post a.r.s. week-in-review to de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology. Anyone
care to continue the tradition?
Message-ID:
1106189402.320046.210420@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
- end
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.