[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.
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