CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR DISSOLUTION OF FRENCH ANTI-RELIGION OFFICE AND INVESTIGATION OF ITS DEPARTED CHIEF

Following French official Alain Vivien’s resignation today as head of the French government’s “Interministerial Mission to Fight Against Sects (MILS)”, the Church of Scientology International has called for the dissolution of MILS and investigation of Vivien’s period in office.

“Vivien’s four-year tenure has been a disaster for France, doing grave injury to its international reputation for human rights”, said Leisa Goodman, Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology International. “With Vivien exiting in disgrace, MILS’ headless body should be officially laid to rest. But the French government should now investigate the abuses committed during Vivien’s time in office, including whether taxpayer money was used to fund his overseas pleasure trips and the consequences of his campaign of anti-religious terrorism.”

Ms. Goodman added that French voters had resoundingly rejected extremism at the polls. “Creating a government agency dedicated to fomenting religious intolerance and placing Vivien at its head was one of the major blunders of the previous administration,” she said, listing the consequences for France:

France has been regularly criticized in U.S. State Department Human Rights Reports and by human rights organizations, as well as at conferences of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE), as the most religiously intolerant nation in Western Europe.

Several U.S. Congressmen who visited France expressed shock at the depth of religious discrimination, testified to that effect at congressional hearings and conveyed their concerns to the French government.

France is currently under investigation by the Council of Europe for enacting a discriminatory religion law urged by Vivien.

The four predominant religions in France condemned the law, with the French Protestant Federation president and the head of the French Catholic Bishops’ Conference warning the Prime Minister that it “threatens fundamental liberties.”

The Vatican has criticized France for religious intolerance.

Vivien scandalized international human rights organizations by attending a symposium in Beijing organized by the Chinese government to justify its persecution of the Falun Gong and Christian House Churches. Vivien also advised the Chinese government on how to treat religious minorities.

Vivien aroused accusations of paranoia when he publicly accused the U.S. Government of being “infiltrated” because the U.S. State Department repeatedly criticized France for religious intolerance.

When the French publication Le Point revealed that Vivien’s wife was receiving a salary many times greater than that of her predecessor as head of an anti-religious group of which Vivien was the former president, she resigned in disgrace.

Vivien’s former associates in MILS left MILS in disgust, stating that they found it impossible to work with him.

The Church of Scientology in France documented numerous instances of discrimination against its parishioners and presented the evidence to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights.

Ms. Goodman stated, “If Vivien wants to blame the Church of Scientology for his departure, as he implies in his resignation statement, we are happy to take the credit. Everyone who cares about freedom of conscience in France will be glad to see the back of this French McCarthy.”

The Scientology religion was founded by writer and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. From one church established by Scientologists in 1954, the Church has grown to 9 million members in 150 countries. The Scientology religion holds that man is a spiritual being, that he is basically good, and is capable of spiritual betterment. For more information, visit http://www.scientology.org.