Monday, July 9, 2001
Congressman Assails French Law on Sects
By Paul Holmes
PARIS (Reuters) - An influential member of the U.S.
Congress on Monday branded a new French law aimed
at controlling the activities of sects profoundly intolerant
and said it could spread an ``anti-religious contagion'' if
allowed to stand.
New Jersey Republican Chris Smith said the bill,
adopted by the French National Assembly in May, was
so vague in its provisions that it could in theory be
applied to almost any cult or religion, including the
Roman Catholic Church.
Smith, chairman of the House of Representatives
sub-committee on international operations and human
rights, spoke to reporters after what he called
contentious, argumentative talks with the bill's co-author
Catherine Picard.
The new law makes it an offence to abuse a vulnerable
person through ``the exertion of heavy or repeated
pressure or techniques'' liable to alter his or her
judgement.
It also allows courts to ban groups if individual
members are convicted of such existing offences as
fraud, illegal practice of medicine, wrongful advertising
or sexual abuse.
Smith said he was concerned the law could give
repressive states an excuse to suppress religious
freedoms and said he would push for congressional
hearings leading ``minimally'' to a resolution condemning
the bill.
``This (law) is sowing the seeds for profound religious
intolerance in France. If and when it is exported, it will
spread an anti-religious contagion,'' Smith said.
``When I read the plain body of the language, you can
take virtually any denomination and in a variety of
situations you can dissolve it. You name it, the Catholic
Church, you can dissolve it,'' he added.
Justice Minister Marylise Lebranchu said when the bill
was passed that its intention was to protect the weak
and that the law would not limit freedom of conscience
or worship.
170 GROUPS UNDER SCRUTINY
The French anti-cult law has already ignited fears
among religious and rights groups of a similar move in
Hong Kong to curb China's banned Falun Gong
spiritual movement.
Provisions in the draft that would have made
brainwashing, or ''mental manipulation,'' a criminal
offence were dropped from the final version after an
outcry from several groups.
Roman Catholic and Protestant Church leaders in
France have also expressed their disquiet.
More than 170 groups are officially designed as sects in
France and remain under government surveillance.
They include the Church of Scientology, founded by the
late American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard,
which has said the bill sounds a ``death knell'' for
French democracy.
Smith was in Paris on a congressional delegation to a
meeting of the parliamentary assembly of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.