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German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has launched a verbal assault against the Church of Scientology, accusing it of trying to secure political power in Germany.
A spokeswoman for Scientology in Germany dismissed the allegations as "insane".
Schaeuble and the 16 state interior ministers declared Scientology unconstitutional on Saturday, opening the way for a possible ban.
"Scientology is also working in Germany to secure political power and influence," Schaeuble said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "Fundamental rights, including human rights like the right to equal treatment and human dignity, are limited or abrogated. The democratic system is rejected."
Scientology was founded in 1953 by US science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard.
Schaeuble and his state counterparts said Germany's domestic intelligence agencies should continue gathering information on the legality of Scientology's activities in Germany so that a decision could be made about a possible ban next year.
But German intelligence agencies have been closely monitoring Scientology's operations for a decade and see little hope of amassing sufficient evidence to justify a ban, Der Spiegel magazine reported in its latest issue. Germany does not recognise Scientology as a religion and regards it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money.
Scientologists say more than 50 court decisions in Germany have acknowledged the group as a religious community and other countries have also recognised it as a religion.
Bild am Sonntag also cited what it said was an internal Scientology document quoted in a domestic intelligence report, saying it appeared to show the organisation has political designs.
"In order to execute our planetary rescue campaigns we must reach the highest levels of the German Government in Berlin," the paper quoted the document as saying.
The organisation's spokeswoman in Germany, Sabine Weber, said the quote was from an unauthorised email sent out by an unidentified person. Weber said, "Scientology is completely apolitical and for strict separation of church and state."
- REUTERS
