Vittorio Hernandez - AHN News Writer
Hamburg, Germany (AHN) - Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel wants a national ban in Germany on Scientology, which claims many high-profile adherents, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. Nagel's opposition to Scientology is premised on his view of the religion as a commercial enterprise and an anti-constitutional body with aggressive tactics.
Nagel shared his thoughts with fellow state interior ministers in a gathering at Hamburg.
He apparently has the state on his side. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been monitoring the group's recruitment practices. The state fears that Scientology, a foreign organization, may win over so many followers and become a swing vote in German elections.
Since a single state like Hamburg cannot impose a national ban, Nagel is building support among other state interior ministers to have a sufficient number to impose a nationwide prohibition.
As proof that Germany views Scientology more of an enterprise than a faith repository, it taxes the group, which complained of religious discrimination.
Despite Germany's misgivings, there is a Scientology center in Berlin. When Cruise was in Berlin to film a movie, he managing to shoot even in some restricted Nazi edifices.
Scientology was founded over 30 years ago by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Although a religion, it does not have a deity. Instead it teaches spiritual release and freedom from life's problems can be achieved by one-on-one guidance sessions, wherein the members' replies are recorded on an e-meter similar to a lie detector machine.
Official warning leaflets from the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior on (from left to right) Islamic extremism, Scientology, and organized crime. 

After an investigation into the Church of Scientology (CoS), top security officials in Germany said that they consider its goals to be in conflict with the German constitution. Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel first brought complaints to state interior ministers in Hamburg. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has also been monitoring the group, fearing they may gain control in German elections. In official reports, the government agency has said "There is substantial evidence that the Scientology organization is involved in activities directed against the free democratic order." Nagel has been building support among other interior ministers.

Berlin's Interior Minister, Senator Erhart Koerting, presided over a two-day conference on the issue with the interior ministers of all of Germany's 16 states.  Federal Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, also attended. The German government does not believe Scientology is a religion, but instead treats it as a commercial enterprise, and states that it takes advantage of its members. The government taxes the CoS and its sister organizations as businesses in the country.

The interior ministers will ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to determine what will be necessary in order to ban the CoS in Germany. The organization has been under investigation by the German government for over a decade, under allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order."

Scientologists have said that the investigation is a violation of their freedom of religion, and the United States Department of State has criticized Germany in its Human Rights Reports in previous years. Sabine Weber, a representative of Scientology in Germany, called the actions to ban Scientology "more than incomprehensible."

This past summer, Germany had initially refused producers of a film starring Scientologist Tom Cruise to film at key sites. Cruise was later able to shoot his film in certain restricted areas.