[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 22 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 22

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the discrimination 
by the German Government against members of minority religious groups, 
particularly the continued and increasing discrimination by the German 
Government against performers, entertainers, and other artists from the 
               United States associated with Scientology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 1997

 Mr. Payne of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Pastor, Mr. 
Becerra, Ms. McKinney, and Mr. Ney) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the discrimination 
by the German Government against members of minority religious groups, 
particularly the continued and increasing discrimination by the German 
Government against performers, entertainers, and other artists from the 
               United States associated with Scientology.

Whereas artists from the United States associated with Scientology have been 
        denied the right to perform, have been the subjects of boycotts, and 
        have been the victims of a widespread and well-documented pattern and 
        practice of discrimination by German Federal, State, and local 
        officials;
Whereas the German State of Baden-Wuerttemberg barred Mr. Chick Corea, the 
        Grammy Award-winning American jazz pianist, from performing his music 
        during the World Athletics Championship in 1993;
Whereas in April 1996, the Minister of Culture of the German State of Bavaria 
        declared Bavaria's intention to bar Mr. Corea from all future 
        performances at State-sponsored events;
Whereas the Young Union of the Christian Democratic Union, the governing 
        political party in Germany, orchestrated a boycott of the movie 
        ``Mission: Impossible'' solely because the lead actor, Tom Cruise, is a 
        Scientologist;
Whereas the Young Union of the Christian Democratic Union and Renate Rennebach, 
        a member of the Bundestag and the Social Democratic Party, attempted to 
        orchestrate a boycott of the movie ``Phenomenon'' solely because the 
        lead actor, John Travolta, is a Scientologist;
Whereas members of the Young Union of the Christian Democratic Union disrupted a 
        1993 performance by the American folk music group Golden Bough by 
        storming the stage because the band members are Scientologists;
Whereas the 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996 United States Department of State Country 
        Reports on Human Rights in Germany all noted the persecution of 
        Scientologists in Germany;
Whereas the 1996 Report states the government of Bavaria will reject applicants 
        that apply for civil servants positions solely on their religious 
        affiliation.
Whereas the 1996 Report observes that the State of Bavaria refuses to fund 
        cultural and artistic events featuring Scientologists.
Whereas the 1994 and 1995 Reports to the Human Rights Commission of the United 
        Nations on the Application of the Declaration on the elimination of All 
        Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief 
        by the Special Rapporteur for Religious Intolerance criticizes Germany 
        for restricting the religious liberty of certain minority religious 
        groups, specifically mentioning Scientology;
Whereas the 1993 report on Human Rights and Democratization in Unified Germany 
        by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe notes that the 
        German government has engaged in discriminatory policy directed at 
        Scientologists from the United States and Germany;
Whereas Germany, as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
        the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 
        Helsinki Accords, is obliged to refrain from religious and artistic 
        discrimination and to foster a climate of tolerance; and
Whereas Germany's policy of discrimination against Scientologists violates 
        German obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki 
        Accords: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) continues to hold Germany responsible for protecting 
        the rights of German national and foreign visitors in Germany, 
        including people from the United States who are performing, 
        doing business, or traveling in Germany, in a manner consistent 
        with Germany's obligations under international agreements to 
        which Germany is a signatory;
            (2) condemns the actions and statements of Federal and 
        State officials in Germany who have fostered an atmosphere of 
        intolerance toward certain minority religious groups;
            (3) expresses concern that performers, entertainers, and 
        other artists from the United States who are members of 
        minority religious groups such as Scientology continue to 
        experience discrimination by the German Government;
            (4) urges the Government of Germany to take the action 
        necessary to protect the rights guaranteed to members of 
        minority religious groups by international covenants to which 
        Germany is a signatory; and
            (5) calls upon the President of the United States to--
                    (A) assert the concern of the United States 
                Government regarding violations by the German 
                Government of the rights of members of minority 
                religious groups, including Scientologists;
                    (B) emphasize that the United States regards the 
                human rights practices of the German Government, and in 
                particular the treatment of United States citizens who 
                are performing, doing business or traveling in Germany, 
                as a significant factor in enhancing the ``pacta sunt 
                servanda'' good faith relations between the United 
                States and Germany;
                    (C) encourage the governments of other countries to 
                appeal to the German Government, and to cooperate with 
                other governments and international organizations 
                (including the United Nations and its agencies), in 
                efforts to protect the rights of minority religious 
                groups in Germany;
                    (D) continue to document discrimination against 
                religious minority groups by the German Government and 
                German Federal and State officials in the annual 
                reports of the President of the United States to the 
                Congress on human rights practices in Germany; and
                    (E) report to the Congress on efforts by the 
                executive branch of the United States Government to 
                discourage discrimination against minority religious 
                groups in Germany.
                                 <all>