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Patron Meritorious
Listed below are passages that mention Scientology in certain country sections of the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2013, released on July 28, 2014.
For passages from the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2012, see
US State Dept International Religious Freedom Report for 2012
Austria
The Church of Scientology, the Unification Church, and a number of smaller religious groups are organized as associations.
(...)
Embassy staff continued to meet regularly with members of Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Scientology, the Unification Church, and other religious groups throughout the country to promote mutual understanding and trust among religious groups.
Belgium
On August 27, the European Court of Human Rights rejected a complaint from the Church of Scientology that a press report stating that the federal prosecutor planned to sue the church’s Belgian subsidiary had tarnished the presumption of innocence. The European Court stated that there was no proof that derogatory information about the Church of Scientology reported in the press had come from the prosecution.
Canada
Groups that together constitute less than 4 percent of the population include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Scientologists, Bahais, and adherents of Shintoism and Taoism.
Denmark
Religious groups not recognized by either royal decree or registered by the ecclesiastic ministry, such as the Church of Scientology, are entitled to engage in religious practices, but members of non-recognized religious groups must marry in a civil ceremony in addition to any religious ceremony. Unrecognized religious groups are not granted tax-exempt status.
France
The Church of Scientology claims 45,000 members.
(...)
On October 16, the Court of Cassation upheld the 2009 fraud conviction of the Church of Scientology. The church had been convicted of pressuring members to pay tens of thousands of euros for personality tests, vitamin cures, sauna sessions, and “purification packs.” Five church leaders had each been fined from 10,000 to 30,000 euros ($13,774 to $41,322) and four had received suspended jail sentences of up to two years. The group announced it would bring a complaint to the ECHR.
Germany
There were, however, reports of discrimination at the federal and state level against some religious minorities, notably Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims.
(...)
The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches continued to use “sect commissioners” to warn the public of alleged dangers from some religious groups such as the Unification Church, the Church of Scientology (COS), Universal Life, and Transcendental Meditation practitioners. Some employers used written agreements known as “sect filters,” asking potential new employees to confirm they had no contact with Scientology, had not participated in its training courses, and rejected its doctrines.
(...)
The status of the Church of Scientology remained in limbo. The Constitutional Court and various courts at the state level have not explicitly ruled Scientology is a religion.
Government agencies at the federal and state level had rules and procedures that discriminated against the COS as a group and against its members. Four of the major political parties (the Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, Social Democratic Party, and Free Democratic Party) excluded Scientologists from party membership.
Scientologists continued to report instances of governmental discrimination. Although courts at the state and federal level condemned the improper use of “sect filters” to blacklist and boycott Scientologists, they remained in use in the public and private sectors. “Sect filters” typically asked potential new employees to give written confirmation they had no contact with Scientology, did not participate in its training courses, and rejected its doctrines.
In January the city of Hamburg stipulated potential tutors for elementary school children must sign a contract that included a “sect filter” declaring neither they nor their employees would teach according to Scientology methods. In August the city of Munich solicited bids for leading seminars on philosophy for high school students and included a similar requirement for a sect filter in the bid announcement.
The federal and state Offices for the Protection of the Constitution (OPCs) in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, NRW, and Thuringia monitored the activities of the COS, mainly focusing on evaluating Scientology publications and public activities to determine whether they violated the constitution. The COS reported OPC representatives regularly contacted Scientologists to question them about the organization. The COS also reported the OPC collected names of members from church publications and archived the information to use in citizenship and employment proceedings.
(...)
Catholic and Protestant churches continued to oppose Scientology publicly, although press reporting and public reactions to Scientology decreased. “Sect commissioners,” primarily Protestant and Catholic church officials, investigated “sects, cults, and psycho groups” and publicized what they considered to be the dangers of these groups. Protestant “sect commissioners” were especially active in efforts to warn the public about alleged dangers posed by the Unification Church, the COS, Bhagwan-Osho, Transcendental Meditation, and Universal Life. Print and internet literature produced by “sect commissioners” portrayed these groups unfavorably.
“Sect filters” continued to be used in private sector employment and contracts. The COS alleged a number of companies, including some of the most prominent in the country, placed restrictions on hiring and contracting members of the COS.
In June books associated with Scientology appeared repeatedly in free public book swap facilities in Duesseldorf, garnering press coverage, both about the books and about book swap volunteers repeatedly removing the Scientology-related publications.
(...)
The embassy and consulates general met with members of the Bahai, Alevi, Coptic, and Sufi communities; the Konrad Adenauer Foundation; the Central Council of Muslims; the Central Council of Jews; the Church of Scientology; and human rights NGOs to discuss religious freedom.
Greece
Religious groups that have never received house-of-prayer permits, including Scientologists, Hare Krishnas, and polytheistic Hellenic groups, cannot function as religious legal entities. Scientologists and polytheistic Hellenic religious groups function as registered nonprofit civil law organizations. The government does not legally recognize weddings conducted by religious leaders of those groups.
Haiti
Religious groups present in small numbers include Episcopalians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Muslims, Rastafarians, Scientologists, and practitioners of Voudou. Local Voudou community leaders state that most people practice some form of Voudou, often blended with elements of other religions, usually Catholicism.
Israel
The Knesset chairperson’s Prize for the Life Quality Fund awarded the Israeli Center for Victims of Cults (ICVC) the Knesset Speaker’s Prize for Human Rights for its work to advance rule of law, democratic values, and human rights. According to the government, the fund was established by a private benefactor and is not a national body or organization, even though according to the fund’s rules, the Knesset chairperson is the chairperson of the fund’s board. NGOs and religious groups objected to the award, stating that the ICVC was an anti-missionary and anti-intermarriage organization that classified Hare Krishnas and Scientologists as “cults.” In response to the complaints, the fund held a hearing with the ICVC’s management and determined there were no new facts that would lead to changing or withdrawing the award.
Kazakhstan
Other groups, such as the Scientologists and Ahmadi Muslims, continued to be denied registration based on their religious beliefs.
(...)
Other groups constituting less than 5 percent of the population include Jews, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Christian Scientists, Buddhists, Hare Krishnas, Bahais, Scientologists, and members of the Unification Church.
(...)
Several other religious groups, including the Church of Scientology and the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, exist in the country but have been denied registration or have not sought registration.
(...)
Several government-controlled media outlets and government-funded nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to publish or broadcast stories critical of “non-traditional” religious groups, including evangelical Protestant groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Scientologists, depicting them as dangerous “sects” harmful to society.
(...)
There were reports of societal discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Observers noted increased discrimination against religious minorities. Several government-supported “anti-sect” organizations portrayed some “non-traditional” religious groups as harmful. Members of these religious groups complained that the “anti-sect” organizations disrupted religious services or attempted to intimidate parishioners through threats of legal action. They also reported that these organizations attempted to discredit some religious groups through programs in schools and in the community. Scientologists reported that several local businesses in Almaty refused to rent them space to hold gatherings as a result of this activity.
Russia
Religious groups constituting less than 5 percent each include Buddhists, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus, Bahais, Hare Krishnas, pagans, Tengrists, Scientologists, and Falun Gong adherents.
(...)
The government arbitrarily applied anti-extremism laws, refused to register certain religious organizations, and imposed other restrictions that infringed on the religious freedoms of members of minority religious groups, in particular Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, Scientologists, and Falun Gong practitioners.
(...)
Religious minorities said local authorities utilized the country’s anti-extremism laws to ban sacred and essential religious texts. As of October 1, the MOJ’s list of extremist materials had grown to 2,096 titles, including 69 Jehovah’s Witnesses items, four Falun Gong items, and seven Scientology items.
(...)
In August the Moscow City Court upheld the MOJ’s notices of violation issued to the Church of Scientology of Moscow. Among other issues, the ministry had required the church to re-register its 1994 religious charter, while at the same time asserting the government did not recognize the religious nature of the organization’s activities. The church argued it had already attempted to re-register 11 times and had been denied every time.
(...)
In March embassy representatives attended the annual Russian National Prayer Breakfast, an interfaith gathering. Embassy representatives as well as representatives from the consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok met with rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community, muftis and other Islamic leaders, Protestant pastors, Catholic priests, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientologists, Falun Gong adherents, Hare Krishnas, and Buddhists.
South Africa
The Church of Scientology has a small following.
Spain
Other religious groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Buddhists, Orthodox Christians, Bahais, Scientologists, Hindus, Christian Scientists and other Christian groups.
(...)
If the MOJ assesses that an applicant for registration is not a religious group, the group may be included in the Register of Associations maintained by the Ministry of Interior (MOI). Inclusion in the Register of Associations grants legal status as authorized by the law regulating the rights of associations, but does not grant the right to hold worship services. In certain cases, religious groups, such as the Church of Scientology, that are not officially recognized by the government are treated as cultural associations.
Sweden
Smaller religious communities are concentrated in larger cities and include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Hare Krishnas, and members of the Church of Scientology, Word of Faith, and Unification Church.
Taiwan
Groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include ... the Church of Scientology, ...
United Kingdom
On December 11, the UK Supreme Court decided Scientology is a religion, qualifying it for charitable status. Scientologists Louisa Hodkin and Alessandro Calcioli took legal action after the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages refused to register Scientology’s London Church Chapel for the solemnization of marriages under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act because it was not a place for “religious worship.” Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Brandon Lewis stated that the UK government would seek legal advice about the decision, saying “hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why Scientology premises should now be given tax cuts when local firms have to pay their fair share.”
For passages from the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2012, see
US State Dept International Religious Freedom Report for 2012
Austria
The Church of Scientology, the Unification Church, and a number of smaller religious groups are organized as associations.
(...)
Embassy staff continued to meet regularly with members of Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Scientology, the Unification Church, and other religious groups throughout the country to promote mutual understanding and trust among religious groups.
Belgium
On August 27, the European Court of Human Rights rejected a complaint from the Church of Scientology that a press report stating that the federal prosecutor planned to sue the church’s Belgian subsidiary had tarnished the presumption of innocence. The European Court stated that there was no proof that derogatory information about the Church of Scientology reported in the press had come from the prosecution.
Canada
Groups that together constitute less than 4 percent of the population include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Scientologists, Bahais, and adherents of Shintoism and Taoism.
Denmark
Religious groups not recognized by either royal decree or registered by the ecclesiastic ministry, such as the Church of Scientology, are entitled to engage in religious practices, but members of non-recognized religious groups must marry in a civil ceremony in addition to any religious ceremony. Unrecognized religious groups are not granted tax-exempt status.
France
The Church of Scientology claims 45,000 members.
(...)
On October 16, the Court of Cassation upheld the 2009 fraud conviction of the Church of Scientology. The church had been convicted of pressuring members to pay tens of thousands of euros for personality tests, vitamin cures, sauna sessions, and “purification packs.” Five church leaders had each been fined from 10,000 to 30,000 euros ($13,774 to $41,322) and four had received suspended jail sentences of up to two years. The group announced it would bring a complaint to the ECHR.
Germany
There were, however, reports of discrimination at the federal and state level against some religious minorities, notably Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims.
(...)
The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches continued to use “sect commissioners” to warn the public of alleged dangers from some religious groups such as the Unification Church, the Church of Scientology (COS), Universal Life, and Transcendental Meditation practitioners. Some employers used written agreements known as “sect filters,” asking potential new employees to confirm they had no contact with Scientology, had not participated in its training courses, and rejected its doctrines.
(...)
The status of the Church of Scientology remained in limbo. The Constitutional Court and various courts at the state level have not explicitly ruled Scientology is a religion.
Government agencies at the federal and state level had rules and procedures that discriminated against the COS as a group and against its members. Four of the major political parties (the Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, Social Democratic Party, and Free Democratic Party) excluded Scientologists from party membership.
Scientologists continued to report instances of governmental discrimination. Although courts at the state and federal level condemned the improper use of “sect filters” to blacklist and boycott Scientologists, they remained in use in the public and private sectors. “Sect filters” typically asked potential new employees to give written confirmation they had no contact with Scientology, did not participate in its training courses, and rejected its doctrines.
In January the city of Hamburg stipulated potential tutors for elementary school children must sign a contract that included a “sect filter” declaring neither they nor their employees would teach according to Scientology methods. In August the city of Munich solicited bids for leading seminars on philosophy for high school students and included a similar requirement for a sect filter in the bid announcement.
The federal and state Offices for the Protection of the Constitution (OPCs) in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, NRW, and Thuringia monitored the activities of the COS, mainly focusing on evaluating Scientology publications and public activities to determine whether they violated the constitution. The COS reported OPC representatives regularly contacted Scientologists to question them about the organization. The COS also reported the OPC collected names of members from church publications and archived the information to use in citizenship and employment proceedings.
(...)
Catholic and Protestant churches continued to oppose Scientology publicly, although press reporting and public reactions to Scientology decreased. “Sect commissioners,” primarily Protestant and Catholic church officials, investigated “sects, cults, and psycho groups” and publicized what they considered to be the dangers of these groups. Protestant “sect commissioners” were especially active in efforts to warn the public about alleged dangers posed by the Unification Church, the COS, Bhagwan-Osho, Transcendental Meditation, and Universal Life. Print and internet literature produced by “sect commissioners” portrayed these groups unfavorably.
“Sect filters” continued to be used in private sector employment and contracts. The COS alleged a number of companies, including some of the most prominent in the country, placed restrictions on hiring and contracting members of the COS.
In June books associated with Scientology appeared repeatedly in free public book swap facilities in Duesseldorf, garnering press coverage, both about the books and about book swap volunteers repeatedly removing the Scientology-related publications.
(...)
The embassy and consulates general met with members of the Bahai, Alevi, Coptic, and Sufi communities; the Konrad Adenauer Foundation; the Central Council of Muslims; the Central Council of Jews; the Church of Scientology; and human rights NGOs to discuss religious freedom.
Greece
Religious groups that have never received house-of-prayer permits, including Scientologists, Hare Krishnas, and polytheistic Hellenic groups, cannot function as religious legal entities. Scientologists and polytheistic Hellenic religious groups function as registered nonprofit civil law organizations. The government does not legally recognize weddings conducted by religious leaders of those groups.
Haiti
Religious groups present in small numbers include Episcopalians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Muslims, Rastafarians, Scientologists, and practitioners of Voudou. Local Voudou community leaders state that most people practice some form of Voudou, often blended with elements of other religions, usually Catholicism.
Israel
The Knesset chairperson’s Prize for the Life Quality Fund awarded the Israeli Center for Victims of Cults (ICVC) the Knesset Speaker’s Prize for Human Rights for its work to advance rule of law, democratic values, and human rights. According to the government, the fund was established by a private benefactor and is not a national body or organization, even though according to the fund’s rules, the Knesset chairperson is the chairperson of the fund’s board. NGOs and religious groups objected to the award, stating that the ICVC was an anti-missionary and anti-intermarriage organization that classified Hare Krishnas and Scientologists as “cults.” In response to the complaints, the fund held a hearing with the ICVC’s management and determined there were no new facts that would lead to changing or withdrawing the award.
Kazakhstan
Other groups, such as the Scientologists and Ahmadi Muslims, continued to be denied registration based on their religious beliefs.
(...)
Other groups constituting less than 5 percent of the population include Jews, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Christian Scientists, Buddhists, Hare Krishnas, Bahais, Scientologists, and members of the Unification Church.
(...)
Several other religious groups, including the Church of Scientology and the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, exist in the country but have been denied registration or have not sought registration.
(...)
Several government-controlled media outlets and government-funded nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to publish or broadcast stories critical of “non-traditional” religious groups, including evangelical Protestant groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Scientologists, depicting them as dangerous “sects” harmful to society.
(...)
There were reports of societal discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Observers noted increased discrimination against religious minorities. Several government-supported “anti-sect” organizations portrayed some “non-traditional” religious groups as harmful. Members of these religious groups complained that the “anti-sect” organizations disrupted religious services or attempted to intimidate parishioners through threats of legal action. They also reported that these organizations attempted to discredit some religious groups through programs in schools and in the community. Scientologists reported that several local businesses in Almaty refused to rent them space to hold gatherings as a result of this activity.
Russia
Religious groups constituting less than 5 percent each include Buddhists, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus, Bahais, Hare Krishnas, pagans, Tengrists, Scientologists, and Falun Gong adherents.
(...)
The government arbitrarily applied anti-extremism laws, refused to register certain religious organizations, and imposed other restrictions that infringed on the religious freedoms of members of minority religious groups, in particular Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, Scientologists, and Falun Gong practitioners.
(...)
Religious minorities said local authorities utilized the country’s anti-extremism laws to ban sacred and essential religious texts. As of October 1, the MOJ’s list of extremist materials had grown to 2,096 titles, including 69 Jehovah’s Witnesses items, four Falun Gong items, and seven Scientology items.
(...)
In August the Moscow City Court upheld the MOJ’s notices of violation issued to the Church of Scientology of Moscow. Among other issues, the ministry had required the church to re-register its 1994 religious charter, while at the same time asserting the government did not recognize the religious nature of the organization’s activities. The church argued it had already attempted to re-register 11 times and had been denied every time.
(...)
In March embassy representatives attended the annual Russian National Prayer Breakfast, an interfaith gathering. Embassy representatives as well as representatives from the consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok met with rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community, muftis and other Islamic leaders, Protestant pastors, Catholic priests, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientologists, Falun Gong adherents, Hare Krishnas, and Buddhists.
South Africa
The Church of Scientology has a small following.
Spain
Other religious groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Buddhists, Orthodox Christians, Bahais, Scientologists, Hindus, Christian Scientists and other Christian groups.
(...)
If the MOJ assesses that an applicant for registration is not a religious group, the group may be included in the Register of Associations maintained by the Ministry of Interior (MOI). Inclusion in the Register of Associations grants legal status as authorized by the law regulating the rights of associations, but does not grant the right to hold worship services. In certain cases, religious groups, such as the Church of Scientology, that are not officially recognized by the government are treated as cultural associations.
Sweden
Smaller religious communities are concentrated in larger cities and include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Hare Krishnas, and members of the Church of Scientology, Word of Faith, and Unification Church.
Taiwan
Groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include ... the Church of Scientology, ...
United Kingdom
On December 11, the UK Supreme Court decided Scientology is a religion, qualifying it for charitable status. Scientologists Louisa Hodkin and Alessandro Calcioli took legal action after the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages refused to register Scientology’s London Church Chapel for the solemnization of marriages under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act because it was not a place for “religious worship.” Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Brandon Lewis stated that the UK government would seek legal advice about the decision, saying “hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why Scientology premises should now be given tax cuts when local firms have to pay their fair share.”