Church of Scientology International Human Rights Office: France

Case 1: Panda Software

Panda Software specializes in data processing security. A Scientologist founded the group, established in more than 35 countries. The company is one of the largest anti-virus publishers in the world and the unchallenged industry leader in Europe. Panda’s products have been tested by the leading experts in the field and rated No. 1. But excellence is no assurance of freedom from discrimination in France if the government does not like your religion.

The Ministry of Education has advised schools in France not to contract with Panda and to stop using its software, solely because Panda’s founder is a Scientologist. On May 3rd, 2001, an official of the Rectorat of Montpellier, a Ministry of National Education entity for the city of Montpellier, sent a letter to Colleges under the Rectorat’s jurisdiction in France. Tellingly, while the letter admits that the software poses “no danger”, it instructs colleges to cease using it: “Even though this material presents no danger in its present form, I am asking you to put it out of use.”

In the United States, Panda’s Chief Financial Officer testified on July 11, 2001, before the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives that since Panda became the target of religious and economic discrimination in France, the company’s third largest market after the United States and Great Britain, his French subsidiary operation suffered a devastating drop in revenue. This financial contraction has continued since, with the French company losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the government sector alone in non-renewals of contracts and loss of deals.

Case 2: Language Training Company

This company has created a methodology of teaching foreign languages that the head of the company has created and copyrighted.

In 1994, the company received an award from the Paris Chamber of Commerce for its contribution to France’s economic expansion. President Jacques Chirac himself extended his congratulations. But in 1996, the company was blacklisted in a Parliamentary report because of the religion of Mrs. C. and her husband. The existence of this blacklist has substantially damaged the company, resulting in the loss of major contracts and prospects.

Case 3: Business Dynamic

G.B. is the CEO of Business Dynamic, a highly successful consultancy. On March 7, 2000, the French Association of Internal Communication (Association Francaise de Communication Interne, AFCI), a professional organization composed of communications and industrial relations firms, expelled G.B. from AFCI because of his religion. A hate campaign against him and his company subsequently began in the media, including articles in Paris-Match and Entreprise et Carrieres.

Numerous clients of Business Dynamic have broken off all relations with the company. For example, in March 2000, STI France, a subsidiary of the American corporation Keystone Foods, requested that Business Dynamic make a presentation to STI employees at its annual convention. However, when STI officials learned about the above articles, they informed Business Dynamic that STI would not use its services as the STI Director “did not want to take any risk,” even though he acknowledged that Business Dynamic’s services were effective. Until these articles were published, major companies in France, such as Evian and Pfizer, routinely requested the services of Business Dynamic.

Case 4: Action Academy

By letter dated June 23, 2000, the Director General of the company Avery Dennison in France informed Action Academy, a management counseling company, that it no longer wanted to have commercial relations with Action Academy “due to your relations with the Church of Scientology”. Action Academy was falsely labeled as “a Scientology company” in a Paris-Match article in February 2000 because its principals happen to be Scientologists. Avery Dennison France is a subsidiary of a United States corporation, Avery Dennison, located in Los Angeles, California.

Case 5: CML Technology

CML Technology specializes in personnel management software. Until recently, many of France’s leading banks and businesses were among its clients. In 1999, however, CML was made a target of a vilification campaign based upon the religion of some of its staff. The notorious Renseignements Generaux, the French security service well known for dirty tricks tactics, circulated a report that CML was attempting to “infiltrate” French banks. Renseignements Generaux’s false and completely unsubstantiated charges regarding CML were repeated in Le Parisian the next day. This government campaign of hate and propaganda cost CML 60 clients, including major corporate contracts, and forced the company to go under a government-appointed financial controller in 2000. In 2001, financial control was returned to CML, but the company continues to be blacklisted based upon this campaign, losing major corporate contracts, solely based on the religious beliefs of its CEO.