HCON 22 IH
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 Ger-
man State of Bavaria declared Bavaria’s intention to bar
Mr. Corea from all future performances at State-spon-
sored events;
Whereas the Young Union of the Christian Democratic
Union, the governing political party in Germany, orches-
trated 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 De-
partment 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 posi-
tions solely on their religious affiliation.
Whereas the 1996 Report observes that the State of Bavaria
refuses to fund cultural and artistic events featuring
Scientologists.
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 Intol-
erance and of Discrimination Based on Religion and Be-
lief 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 Democra-
tization in Unified Germany by the Commission on Secu-
rity 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 Declara-
tion of Human Rights, the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Accords, is
obliged to refrain from religious and artistic discrimina-
tion and to foster a climate of tolerance; and
Whereas 
Germany’s 
policy 
of 
discrimination 
against
Scientologists violates German obligations under the Uni-
versal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki
Accords: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) continues to hold Germany responsible for
protecting the rights of German national and foreign
visitors in Germany, including people from the Unit-
ed States who are performing, doing business, or
traveling in Germany, in a manner consistent with
HCON 22 IH
Germany’s obligations under international agree-
ments to which Germany is a signatory;
(2) condemns the actions and statements of
Federal and State officials in Germany who have
fostered an atmosphere of intolerance toward certain
minority religious groups;
(3) expresses concern that performers, enter-
tainers, and other artists from the United States
who are members of minority religious groups such
as Scientology continue to experience discrimination
by the German Government;
(4) urges the Government of Germany to take
the action necessary to protect the rights guaranteed
to members of minority religious groups by inter-
national covenants to which Germany is a signatory;
and
(5) calls upon the President of the United
States to—
(A) assert the concern of the United States
Government regarding violations by the German
Government of the rights of members of minor-
ity religious groups, including Scientologists;
HCON 22 IH
(B) emphasize that the United States re-
gards the human rights practices of the Ger-
man Government, and in particular the treat-
ment of United States citizens who are per-
forming, doing business or traveling in Ger-
many, as a significant factor in enhancing the
‘‘pacta sunt servanda’’ good faith relations be-
tween the United States and Germany;
(C) encourage the governments of other
countries to appeal to the German Government,
and to cooperate with other governments and
international organizations (including the Unit-
ed Nations and its agencies), in efforts to pro-
tect the rights of minority religious groups in
Germany;
(D) continue to document discrimination
against religious minority groups by the Ger-
man Government and German Federal and
State officials in the annual reports of the
President of the United States to the Congress
on human rights practices in Germany; and
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(E) report to the Congress on efforts by
the executive branch of the United States Gov-
ernment to discourage discrimination against
minority religious groups in Germany.
Æ