GERMANY/EU: Germany and the EU in the dock at the OSCE on religious discrimination
OSCE (06.10.2023) – At the Warsaw Human Conference, Germany and the EU were jointly in the dock in a statement on religious discrimination made on 6 October by Ivan Arjona, President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights:
“Madam Chair,
We would like to start by praising the efforts of countries such as Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal and the USA for their constant effort in improving the situation of freedom of religion or belief, and non-discrimination.
We would like to also acknowledge the Germany court system for the circa 50 court decision at different levels for ruling and recognizing that members of the Church of Scientology deserve and are entitled to the protection under Article 4 of the Basic Law.
We would like to address specifically to the delegation of the European Union, and more specifically to the Delegation of Germany, with special appeal for effective dialogue.
Do you still ask people to declare their religious belief before accepting them for a job, a public position or any other tenders that count with public funding?
Well, as of October 6, in the European Union’s website for tenders by public bodies throughout the region, the EU is showing, without regret and without any corrective action, how Germany is asking in no less that 357 tenders in 2023, for bidders to declare that
- they are not members of the Church of Scientology, and
- that they will not hire Scientologists, based only in their religion, and this applies to clothes cleaners, kinder garden personnel, architects.
In addition to that this religious discrimination is backed by propaganda produced for example by the Bavarian state Ministry of Interior, depicting Scientologists as robots, dehumanizing us in a video aimed to be shown in high schools and publicly.
Would the European Union Delegation or even Germany be willing to start a dialogue to resolve this religious discrimination? Your answer to this will determine your position and level of respect of OSCE guidelines and international standards.
Our churches are open for you to carry out the needed dialogue. Thank you.”
Recommendations:
- Cancel the regulation in Germany that justifies the state- imposed obligation for citizens and companies to deny jobs and contracts to Scientologists, practice under the euphemist name of “protective declaration”.
Further reading about FORB in Germany and in the EU on HRWF website