Word: bonneli
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With that, Germany had had enough. In Bonn, the government declared that it was its "duty to publicize Scientology's practices and protect citizens from them." There were prolonged meetings at the chancellery, with much dark talk of slashing back at the U.S., reportedly by urging it to abolish capital punishment and do more to combat racism...
...including right-wing Nazi groups." People have gone to jail in Germany for displaying a swastika or denying the Holocaust. And most Germans, 70% of whom tell pollsters they think the church should be banned, consider Scientology a subversive organization. "The federal government," says Peter Hausmann, its spokesman in Bonn, "will continue to combat Scientology with all legal means." Kohl snapped that those who signed the letter "don't know a thing about Germany and don't want to know...
...evidence of illegality, the Scientologists should be prosecuted under existing laws. The Germans replied that, well, there wasn't enough evidence for a trial, but even so, their government "has a responsibility to protect its citizens." Washington agrees that the lid should be kept on dangerous movements but thinks Bonn is tightening such restraints far beyond worrisome Nazi-like groups. "This is all extralegal in our view," says an American diplomat...
...argue that the whole fuss was cranked up by the Scientologists "to achieve what we won't give them: tax-exempt status as a religion. This is intimidation, pure and simple." Scientologists campaigned in the U.S. for years before receiving tax exemption in 1993, and Washington has not asked Bonn to grant...
...emphasize that the dispute will have no serious effect on their close alliance. The German embassy in Washington says the relationship is obviously in good shape if this is the biggest problem it has to deal with. Last week's State Department report also points to "some positive developments": Bonn has decided not to put Scientology under federal surveillance and concluded there is no evidence that the church has committed criminal acts. In spite of the public argument, both capitals think they can quietly agree to disagree on the issue--if the Scientologists will let them...