A German eye on Scientology. (the US State Department accuses Germany of harassing members of the Scientology religious movement)(Brief Article)

Economist (US), The, February, 1997

BERLIN

GERMANY is both embarrassed and sure that it ought not to be. The charges are quite unfounded, groans the foreign minister, Klaus Kinkel. Chancellor Helmut Kohl, more self-assured, consigns the wilder accusations to the dustbin. But any official reproach coming from America stings. So it was with this week's barb from the State Department-for the third year running but sharper than ever-that Germany is guilty of harassing a religious sect, the American-based Scientology movement with its 30,000 German members.

Scientology faces legal constraints in other countries too, including France, Italy and Greece. But Germany cannot bring itself to be relaxed about the movement. Moreover, the sect does its best to provoke the Germans by harping on their...

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