Religious Discrimination Against
the Church of Scientology in 2000: France
International human rights organizations have warned that the French government has retreated from its mandate toward respecting religious pluralism. In spite of the principles of non-discrimination and equal treatment, the French government has determined to arbitrarily classify religious groups into two separate categories: 1) religions viewed as law-abiding and beneficial to society; and 2) “sects” viewed as dangerous to society, which are the targets of oppressive and discriminatory measures, and which the government declares must be “fought” against.
Scientologists continue to experience systematic discrimination solely because of their religious beliefs. The United Nations, religious experts, and U.N. treaty-based bodies have consistently found that the expression “religion or belief,” as well as the individual terms “religion” and “belief,” must be construed broadly to include non-traditional religions and all forms of belief. Likewise, the Human Rights Committee, in its General Comment No. 22 on Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, notes that:
“Article 18 protects theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief. The terms belief and religion are to be broadly construed. Article 18 is not limited in its application to traditional religions or to religions and beliefs with instititutional characteristics or practices analogous to those of traditional religions. The Committee therefore views with concern any tendency to discriminate against any religion or belief for any reason, including the fact that they are newly established, or represent religious minorities that may be the subject of hostility by a predominant religious community.”
By way of background, in 1998, the French government established an agency entitled—chillingly—the “Interministerial Mission to Battle Against Sects” (Interministerial Mission or MILS, from the French Mission Interministrielle de Lutte Contre les Sectes). The President of MILS is Alain Vivien, the former President of an extremist anti-religious group, the Center against Mental Manipulation (Centre Contre la Manipulation Mentale - CCMM).
In November 1997, the Minister of the Interior adopted a Circular to the Chiefs of Police concerning the “combat against reprehensible actions of sectarian movements.” The Minister publicly requested that anti-religious groups such as UNADFI and CCMM help the government “fight” these groups. In addition, the Minister called for the mobilization of all State officials to join this “fight” by exchanging information and by increasing scrutiny of such groups through work, school and health inspections. The Circular reiterated that “this fight” represented a “national priority.” The former French Minister of Justice has sent circulars urging prosecutors to become more active in their attack on “sects,” urging them to “fight against” groups of a “sectarian nature.”
