IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 22

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the discrimination

by the German Government against members of minority religious

groups, particularly the continued and increasing discrimination by the

German Government against performers, entertainers, and other artists

from the United States associated with Scientology.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 13, 1997

Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. PASTOR, Mr.

BECERRA, Ms. MCKINNEY, and Mr. NEY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International

Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the

discrimination by the German Government against members of minority religious groups, particularly the continued and increasing discrimination by the German Government against performers, entertainers, and other artists from the United States associated with Scientology.

Whereas artists from the United States associated with

Scientology have been denied the right to perform, have

been the subjects of boycotts, and have been the victims

of a widespread and well-documented pattern and practice of discrimination by German Federal, State, and

local officials;
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Whereas the German State of Baden-Wuerttemberg barred

Mr. Chick Corea, the Grammy Award-winning American

jazz pianist, from performing his music during the World

Athletics Championship in 1993;

Whereas in April 1996, the Minister of Culture of the German State of Bavaria declared Bavaria’s intention to bar

Mr. Corea from all future performances at State-sponsored events;

Whereas the Young Union of the Christian Democratic

Union, the governing political party in Germany, orchestrated a boycott of the movie ‘‘Mission: Impossible’’ solely

because the lead actor, Tom Cruise, is a Scientologist;

Whereas the Young Union of the Christian Democratic Union

and Renate Rennebach, a member of the Bundestag and

the Social Democratic Party, attempted to orchestrate a

boycott of the movie ‘‘Phenomenon’’ solely because the

lead actor, John Travolta, is a Scientologist;

Whereas members of the Young Union of the Christian

Democratic Union disrupted a 1993 performance by the

American folk music group Golden Bough by storming

the stage because the band members are Scientologists;

Whereas the 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996 United States Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights in

Germany all noted the persecution of Scientologists in

Germany;

Whereas the 1996 Report states the government of Bavaria

will reject applicants that apply for civil servants positions solely on their religious affiliation.

Whereas the 1996 Report observes that the State of Bavaria

refuses to fund cultural and artistic events featuring

Scientologists.
3

HCON 22 IH

Whereas the 1994 and 1995 Reports to the Human Rights

Commission of the United Nations on the Application of

the Declaration on the elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief by the Special Rapporteur for Religious Intolerance

criticizes Germany for restricting the religious liberty of

certain minority religious groups, specifically mentioning

Scientology;

Whereas the 1993 report on Human Rights and Democratization in Unified Germany by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe notes that the German

government has engaged in discriminatory policy directed

at Scientologists from the United States and Germany;

Whereas Germany, as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on

Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Accords, is

obliged to refrain from religious and artistic discrimination and to foster a climate of tolerance; and

Whereas Germany’s policy of discrimination against

Scientologists violates German obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki

Accords: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) continues to hold Germany responsible for

4 protecting the rights of German national and foreign

5 visitors in Germany, including people from the Unit6 ed States who are performing, doing business, or

7 traveling in Germany, in a manner consistent with
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1 Germany’s obligations under international agree2 ments to which Germany is a signatory;

3 (2) condemns the actions and statements of

4 Federal and State officials in Germany who have

5 fostered an atmosphere of intolerance toward certain

6 minority religious groups;

7 (3) expresses concern that performers, enter8 tainers, and other artists from the United States

9 who are members of minority religious groups such

10 as Scientology continue to experience discrimination

11 by the German Government;

12 (4) urges the Government of Germany to take

13 the action necessary to protect the rights guaranteed

14 to members of minority religious groups by inter15 national covenants to which Germany is a signatory;

16 and

17 (5) calls upon the President of the United

18 States to—

19 (A) assert the concern of the United States

20 Government regarding violations by the German

21 Government of the rights of members of minor22 ity religious groups, including Scientologists;
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1 (B) emphasize that the United States re2 gards the human rights practices of the Ger3 man Government, and in particular the treat4 ment of United States citizens who are per5 forming, doing business or traveling in Ger6 many, as a significant factor in enhancing the

7 ‘‘pacta sunt servanda’’ good faith relations be8 tween the United States and Germany;

9 (C) encourage the governments of other

10 countries to appeal to the German Government,

11 and to cooperate with other governments and

12 international organizations (including the Unit13 ed Nations and its agencies), in efforts to pro14 tect the rights of minority religious groups in

15 Germany;

16 (D) continue to document discrimination

17 against religious minority groups by the Ger18 man Government and German Federal and

19 State officials in the annual reports of the

20 President of the United States to the Congress

21 on human rights practices in Germany; and
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1 (E) report to the Congress on efforts by

2 the executive branch of the United States Gov3 ernment to discourage discrimination against

4 minority religious groups in Germany.

Æ