GERMANY: Hollywood stars attend controversial opening of Scientology church in Berlin

In a country that refuses to recognise U.S.-based Scientology as a church, saying it masquerades as a religion to make money, the six-storey building in the heart of west Berlin has been a focal point of national media coverage for weeks. Of particular interest were the American celebrities who attended the opening on Saturday (January 13). Jazz pianist Chick Corea has been a Scientologist since 1968, and Hollywood star Anne Archer was also present. The actress, who played Michael Douglas's wife in "Fatal Attraction" and Harrison Ford's wife in "Patriot Games" has been a member of Scientology for around 30 years she said. "The whole purpose of this church opening today is to answer people's questions," Archer said. Scientology leaders reject Germany's charges and calls on the government to stop spying on its members. "Certainly in Los Angeles and the United States, Scientology is highly respected. In fact artists who are Scientologists are known, the word around Hollywood is if you want a job well done and you want a real professional, then you hire a Scientologist," Archer added. A small group of protesters outside the 4,000-square metre (43,000-square foot) building carried posters reading: "Brainwashing, no thanks". "Scientology has become a very totalitarian, fascist system in the meantime, whose only purpose is to make money. If you look at the so-called philosophy of Scientology, particularly the higher levels, then you see that it is absolute nonsense," said the former director of Scientology in Austria, Wilfried Handl in Berlin the day before the new church opened. "Only the people who follow it have to pay huge sums of money for it." Several hundred members of the organisation stood outside the new headquarters for the official opening, many of them various carrying flags. "They have got absolutely no business to be here, who let them come anyway? They don't have any basis here," said one unnamed resident. Roland Hellwig said he had been coaxed into the Scientologists' former representation in Berlin ten years ago. "They coaxed me inside and showed me a film and then I was supposed to pay and buy books and everything, but I got out of it very quickly. I didn't know what it was then, now I do. It is a sect, who are just after our money," he said. German authorities, who refused a request by Scientology supporters to hold a rally at the opening, argue Scientology is a purely economic organisation that exploits members to extract profits.

ITN Source | January 17, 2007

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