Archangelsk, November 7, 2011
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| Scientologists try to draw people into their sect through free stress tests in streets throughout the world. |
In September, director of Praxis-Career and member of the international association of Scientologists Raila Fofanova sent a letter to Bishop Daniel of Archangelsk and Khomogory demanding that all articles critical of Scientology’s activities in Archangelsk be removed from the diocesan website within ten days.
The cause of her ultimatum was the site’s republication of an article by a correspondent of the informational agency “Orthodoxy in the Northern lands”, Alexander Ivanov, entitled “Praxis-Career in service of Scientology”. The diocese of Archangelsk refused to remove the article, and the local Scientologist front organization decided to try to force the issue through a lawsuit.
In the words of Bishop Daniel, the lawsuit is just another attempt by Scientologists to frighten and silence their critics.
“Scientology has established itself in Archangelsk region; it has infiltrated many business structures, actively worked with government agencies, and even with government officials in the region. The sect poses as a respectable educational institution, but this is no more than a mask which barely hides a sinister face. It is sinister because its goal is the destruction of traditional values and people’s self-awareness, turning them into slaves of a sectarian ideology. This is a blow to our statehood, which is based on a traditional culture. Scientologists have a fierce hatred for Russia and Russian people, and consider them to be inferior. I cannot agree with this and call upon society to unite in counteracting these destructive powers,” Bishop Daniel stated.
“Praxis-Career demands that we remove from our website all criticism about the Scientologists’s activities. They won’t get what they want! Not only will we not remove it, but we will continue to publish more information about this sect and all those who stand behind it,” the Bishop emphasized.
The press service of Archangelsk diocese also notes that the lawsuit’s filing coincided with the announcement of a month of Scientologist seminars. Despite the fact that L. Ron Hubbard’s works are on the federal government’s list of extremist materials, visits by his followers to the White Sea coastal region have increased.
As the press service reported earlier, on July 6, 2011 the independent news agency Orthodoxy in the Northern Lands published research on the activities of the international sect, “The Church of Scientology” in Archangelsk Oblast. As the journalists of this publication write, “Scientology operates under the banner of an educational center called ‘Praxis-Career’ and the center of applied education, ESL—Archangelsk.”
“The directors of Archangelsk companies who spend tens and hundreds of thousands of rubles on their co-workers’ attendance of Scientology seminars at “Praxis” do not even know that the teaching of L. Ron Hubbard divides all people in the world into two groups—Scientologists and “Wogs”, a British English word meaning “a dark-skinned foreigner; especially : one from the Middle East or Far East” (Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wog), as disparaging as the American word “nigger”. Every representative of an Archangelsk business who has paid money to “Praxis-Career” is a wog. However, he has the unique opportunity to become a “clear” Scientologist-superman with “cleaned brains”. For this he needs money and unbounded dedication to the work of Scientology. That is why the attendees of every seminar held at “Praxis” are offered the books of L. Ron Hubbard for sale, and receive the suggestion that they cannot achieve success in their businesses without them.
“The co-workers of the Archangelsk employment agency that sends people seeking work to Praxis-Career do not even know that such people are called in the language of the sect, “raw meat”—disposable labor material. Former employees of Praxis-Center have related how they had to send thirty faxes per day and make hundreds of calls inviting people to ‘business classes’. Their employers at Praxis paid them 5,000 rubles (164 USD) per month for this, and made tough demands for newer and newer ‘records’. Psychological exhaustion came very quickly, but the turnover did not bother Praxis—the employment agency continued to provide ‘new meat’”, writes Orthodoxy in the Northern Lands.
In the investigation it is emphasized that on Praxis’s “white list” are highly significant strategic businesses in the region, including classified military factories. Every conversation between the workers of the educational center and representatives of an organization is strictly recorded. Names, positions, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, business information, and relationship and experience of participation in Scientology centers are all entered into a data base.
“Every client of Praxis is given a detailed test to fill out on how they conduct business, including information on current issues and financial condition. At each seminar, new application sheets are given and questions asked. In this way, a unique dossier is collected which would no doubt be interesting to competitors, as well as Western intelligence agencies who want to know what is going on in Russian business.”
“The goal of the international association of Scientologists is to subjugate the entire world and establish a single religion that was conceived by the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard for the purpose of making money. This is the goal that the Archangelsk center “Praxis Career” is trying to achieve… For a number of years, Scientology has also tried to infiltrate the major educational institutions of the region. One of their goals is the Northern (Arctic) Federal University. This is not surprising if you take into consideration the current struggle in the world for domination of the Arctic,” write the journalists of Orthodoxy in the Northern Lands.