A French law that cracks down on religious groups considered sects or cults could set a dangerous precedent for government-targeted minority religious in other countries, human rights advocates said July 11.
“While much will depend on how the statute is implemented, we are concerned that it has established a precedent that is troubling, not only because of its potential impact in France, but also because of its likely use as a model by undemocratic countries or aspiring democracies who look to western Europe for guidance,” said Lorne W. Craner, assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, in testimony before the human rights subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee.
“We have seen evidence that French officials are actively promoting their model in some of these countries, and that some- such as Russia and other countries in eastern Europe- are even considering its adoption,” he said. “We are distressed at reports that the government of Hong Kong, under pressure from China, may adopt a law based on the [new law] in order to deal with the Falun Gong.”
Under the law approved by the French Parliament in May, government officials can ban religious groups considered cults and can stop them from changing their name and reorganizing. Officials can also impose a fine and three-year prison sentence on religious group members who recruit new members by “abusing” a “state of ignorance or situation of weakness.”
Any “religious education or proselytization can be suspect under the vague crime of ‘abuse of a person’s state of weakness,’” said Joseph K. Grieboski, president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.
‘Inane example’
In one “inane example according to the French law, a Catholic religious school could potentially be charged with mental manipulation for ‘forcing’ its students to believe that common bread and wine become the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ,” Grieboski said.
The panel’s chairwoman, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., dismissed France’s argument that its law was needed because of the mass suicides in the 1990s of Solar Temple members in France, Canada and Switzerland. “There is no excuse- nor can there ever be- an excuse for violating or depriving human beings of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to manifest their religion or belief in teaching practice, worship and observance,” she said.
“These rights are enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and cannot-must not- be ignored.”
Also testifying before the subcommittee were Sameera Fazili, executive director of Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and several members of the Church of Scientology, which is one of about 172 groups considered cults by French officials.
In testimony submitted to the committee, Panda Software President Patrick Hinojosa claimed his company suffered discrimination from the French government because its founder is a member of the Church of Scientology.
Hinojosa was joined at the hearing by fellow Scientologists, award-winning musician Isaac Hayes and actress Catherine Bell of the television series “JAG.”
(RNS)
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