Germany Wants Nationwide Ban On Scientology

December 7, 2007 4:18 p.m. EST

Berlin, Germany (AHN) - The interior ministers of Germany's 16 states plan to task the domestic intelligence agency in getting the necessary information to ban Scientology which is under observation on allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order" of the country.

The ministers, as well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, "consider Scientology to be an organization that is not compatible with the constitution," said Berlin Interior Minister Ehrhart Koerting.

Hamburg secretary of the interior Udo Nagel wants a nationwide ban on Scientology, saying it pursues "anti-constitutional goals in an aggressively fierce" manner that run counter to human rights and dignity.

Scientology spokeswoman Sabine Weber called Nagel's proposal "more than incomprehensible" and pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of Scientology when Russia denied its application to register as a religious community.

The U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for monitoring Scientology activities, the Associate Press reported.

Germany considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people. It initially refused to allow Scientology member Tom Cruise to film last summer to film at the site where Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter was executed.