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Alternative Charlemagne Award 2000

Robert Minton receives the Human Rights Award
of the European-American Citizens Committee
for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA

The European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA (formerly the German-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA) dedicates itself to human rights and religious freedom in the USA and around the world, and is involved, specifically, in the discussion of new totalitarian organizations.

In doing this, it is led by the same spirit in which 17 million Americans, in the 1950 dedication of the Berlin Liberty Bell, signed their names to the words: " I believe in the sacredness and dignity of the individual. I believe that all men derive the right to freedom equally from God. I pledge to resist aggression and tyranny wherever they appear on earth. " (See: Berlin Liberty Bell broadcast.)

As European friends of the United States of America and as U.S. citizens, we are concerned by the Scientology Organization's (SO) attacks on the human dignity and lives not only of its members, but also of its critics. We are dismayed that the Scientology Organization (SO) has managed to exert its influence in U.S. politics in recent years.

The Scientology Organization is based in the United States and is responsible for the last agonizing 17 days of Lisa McPherson's life (USA), the financial ruin of the Aigner family (Germany) and the tragic death of Patrick Vic (France) . In addition, we believe that the Scientology Organization (SO) has been making an effort to damage the European-American friendship for which so many have worked so hard in recent decades.

There are also many people in the USA who have opposed Scientology Organization (SO) claims to power. We have decided to recognize U.S. citizen Robert S. Minton, chairman of the Lisa McPherson Trust, for his accomplishments in the battle for human rights and religious freedom in the USA with the Human Rights Award of the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Freedom in the USA, the Alternative Charlemagne Award 2000.

The award will be handed over to Bob Minton on June 3, 2000 under the auspices of a festive ceremony in Leipzig, the birth place of the East German civil rights movement.

Bob Minton, steered by his courage and sense of civil duty, has distinguished himself in human rights in the USA and around the world by his involvement with the persecuted minority of former Scientology Organization (SO) members who have been attacked by the SO, and with U.S. society, which is at risk to the totalitarian influences of the SO.

By our recognition, we wish to show our support for the American people and to put an end to human rights violations which are being committed by the Scientology Organization against citizens of the USA and other countries.


The difference between the Alternative Charlemagne Award and the original Aachen Award

Bob Minton or Bill Clinton?

The "Charlemagne Award" was meant to distinguish people who promote democracy, human rights and the common values of Europe. 

Former prize winners include personalities such as Konrad Adenauer (Germany), Winston Churchill (Great Britain), George C. Marshall (USA), Konstantin Karamanlis (Greece), Henry Kissinger (USA), Francois Mitterand (France), Frère Roger, Communauté de Taizé (France), Václav Havel (Czech Republic) and Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands. A list of the Aachen Charlemagne Award winners can be found at: http://www.aachen.de/Karlspreis1999/preistraeger_alle.htm

The prize is bestowed yearly "for the most valuable contribution in the service of the European Union, and for community work in the service of humanity and world peace. The award winners were intended by the initiators of the award to be "role models who evoke imitation." 

This year, 2000, the Charlemagne award is to be given to President Bill Clinton. Unofficial English translation of press coverage here and here

Role model?

Opinions as to whether Bill Clinton is a suitable award winner vary widely, even in Aachen. Unofficial English translation of press coverage in the readers' forum of the Aachen newspaper.

We believe that there are people who are better suited than Bill Clinton to be publicly recognized for their accomplishments in promoting freedom of opinion and a democratic life style. Because President Clinton has, in some respects, evoked more controversy and has not held himself up so much as a role model. From our perspective, his liberal attitude towards Scientology (SO) is especially controversial.

"It's important we not have [Scientologists like] Tom Cruise or John Travolta setting foreign policy in this country," federal House of Representatives member Doug Bereuter (R-Nebraska) was already saying in 1997.

The first event in a series of correlations between the Scientology Organization (SO) and Bill Clinton was also the most effective weapon the Scientology Organization has produced to date. Scientology was granted tax exemption by the IRS in the first year of Bill Clinton's presidency - for "religious" purposes.

Since that time, the Clinton administration's State Department has continued to fault Germany and other European nations for their critical dealing with Scientology, despite the documented human rights abuses of Scientology in the U.S. and abroad.

  • In November 1996, Bill Clinton, President of the United States of America, contributed to an "exclusive" article especially for the Scientology magazine, "Freedom." Clinton afterwards let the article appear "exclusively" for ' Freiheit,' the Swiss Scientology magazine, in "Ethique et Liberté" and finally in the German edition of the Scientology propaganda magazine under the title of "What we can do about the drug problem" (in the "Zeit zu entscheiden " / ["Time to decide"] edition, pp. 48).

  •  
  • In 1997, Clinton's National Security Adviser, Sandy Berger, met with actor John Travolta and other Scientologists to discuss the German government's attitude towards Scientology.

  •  
  • According to "George" magazine 3/1998, President Clinton met personally with Scientologist John Travolta. Clinton praised the "educational" materials of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard: "Your program sounds great", and "I'd really love to help you with your issue over in Germany with Scientology," he was reported to have said in the "George" report.

  •  
  • Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service reported on March 21, 1997 that President Clinton honored Scientologist Tom Cruise's requests by directing his newly confirmed Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, to schedule discussions with German Foreign Minister Kinkel about Scientology's claims of religious persecution in Germany.

  •  
  • In contrast, Secretary Albright visited China that week, but there was no indication that Clinton asked her to address the egregious human rights violations and systematic abduction and execution of Christians in that totalist country. 
  • In a Dec. 22 1999 letter of "warm greetings," Clinton expressed gratitude to the Scientologists for "all your efforts to promote [religious freedom] and to build just communities united in understanding, compassion and mutual respect."

President Clinton's public support for Scientology is not shared by the American people or their congressional representatives. Scientology's actors and actresses, however, have been appearing repeatedly before the U.S. Congress since 1997 in a concerted effort to worsen German-American relations by adapting the Scientology mind-set. Yet every bill they have had their captive congress people introduce has either been defeated or has quietly died without public discussion. 

A role model that evokes imitation

There is one American who not only does not share President Clinton's predilection for Scientology, but who has distinguished himself in resisting that group's totalitarian tendencies. Among many, who have recognized Scientology's mandated practice of systematic reverse religious discrimination, there is one man who has excelled: 

  • in his support of freedom of speech
  • in accurately reporting the activities of the Scientology Organization (SO)
  • in assisting the victims of the Scientology Organization, including Lisa McPherson's relatives in their lawsuit against the SO
  • in having founded the Lisa McPherson Trust.
That is a man by the name of Robert S. Minton.
  1. US Millionaire Fights Sect -- Crusade against Scientology
  2. Bob Minton, Intrepid Representative of Sect Victims
  3. A US Millionaire as a Crusader against Scientology
  4. Charlotte Kates' history of Bob Minton
  5. Holysmoke's history of Bob Minton

The Alternative Charlemagne Award

Therefore the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA has decided that an alternative Charlemagne Award will be awarded to someone who has definitively furthered the cause of democracy, freedom of opinion and freedom of conscience by reason of his actions. The person deserving of this award is Bob Minton. 

The Award Committee:

 

Gerry Armstrong Canada artist
Ursula Caberta Hamburg director of the Task Force on Scientology
Prof. Claire Champollion Paris linguist, researcher and author
Joe Cisar Cleveland, Ohio Vietnam Veteran, Journalist
Prof. Dr. Alexander Dvorkin Moscow Director of the St. Irenäus-von-Lyon-Center
Rev. Thomas Gandow Berlin publisher of the Berliner Dialog
Mike Garde Dublin Dialogue Ireland
Roger Gonnet Paris author
Friedrich Griess Vienna Engineer, spokesman for the Gesellschaft gegen Sekten- und Kultgefahren
Tilman Hausherr Berlin Software-Entwickler
Ursula MacKenzie London  retiree
Solveig Prass Leipzig operating manager, EBI Sachsen e.V.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Aagaard Aarhus President of the Dialog Center International (DCI)
Birgitta Harrington Helsingborg, Schweden Accountant

Award Supporters

  • Ellen Alkimowitsch, Leipzig, Germany, telephone operator
  • Geli von Allwörden, Stuhr-Brinkum, Germany
  • Nick Andrew, Sydney, Australia
  • El Awadalla, Author, Vienna, Austria
  • "F. CiCilia Aychar", USA, Psychologist-Behavioural and Learning Research
  • AGPF -Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Betroffeneninitiativen e.V., Bonn, Bernhard Brünjes, Chairman, Germany
  • Claudia Bartels, Fotografin, Schriftstellerin und Mutter, Leipzig, Deutschland
  • Rüdiger Bartels, Maler, Leipzig, Deutschland
  • Heike Barten, Berlin, Deutschland
  • William C. Barwell, Houston, Texas, USA
  • "Bat Child", San Diego, CA, USA, medical transcriptionist
  • Ralf Becker, youth care, Potsdam, Germany
  • Jim Beebe, Northbrook, Il, USA, professional musician,
  • former Cult Awareness Network staff member
  • Klaus Uwe Benneter, Member of the Berlin House of Representatives, State Chairman of the Berlin SPD, Berlin, Germany
  • David Bird, from Birmingham/England; computer programmer
  • Elisabeth Bonacker, Housewife and mother of an ex-Scientologist, Niedersachsen, Germany
  • Eldon M. Braun, American in Paris, Writer/editor
  • Stacy Brooks, Clearwater, Florida, President, Lisa McPherson Trust
  • Doris Busch, Theologian, Berlin, Germany
  • Jim Byrd, Somerville, Massachusetts, software developer
  • Ingolf Christiansen, Göttingen, Germany, Commissioner for Issues of Worldview
  • Rob Clark, York, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Paulette Cooper, New York City, author
  • Dialog Zentrum Berlin e.V.
  • Martin Dojcar, Dialog Center Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Katharina Doyé, Religion and Municipal Scholar, Member of the State Board of Bündnis 90/ The Green Party, LV Brandenburg, Germany
  • Hans-Peter Dreyer, Hamburg, Germany, Salesman,
    Chairman of the I.BE. Hamburg
  • Yvonne Seifert-Dreyer, Hamburg, Germany, Sales Lady,
    Acting Chairman of the I.BE. Hamburg
  • Birgit Ebersbach, Business Manager, EBI Sachsen, Leipzig, Germany
    "Ed", CA and NY, USA; researcher and former Scientologist
  • Jeta Eggers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Silvia Eilhardt, Witten Sect Info, Witten, Germany
  • "Feadog", Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, Engineer
  • J. R. Ford; Springfield, Missouri, USA; Salesman
  • Axel Franken, Aktion Bildungsinformation Stuttgart e.V. (ABI), Wü rzburg, Germany
  • Freimann, Stade, Germany, Musician
  • Jürgen von Freymann, Oberstleutnant a.D. Hannover, Germany
  • Ute Gandow, Germany, Physical Therapist
  • David Gerard, Melbourne, Australia, computer professional
  • Elke Gorf, Information Group Krokodil; Weinstadt, Germany
  • Rev. Bartolomej Gööz, Dialog Center Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Barb Graham, digital animator, (also Vietnam vet), USA
  • Martin Gurgel, EBI Sachsen, Leipzig, Germany
  • William G. Hagglund, Toronto Canada, Actor/Artist/political activist
  • Susanne Haller, Journalist, Member of Parliament of Basel-City Canton, Basel, Switzerland
  • "Suse Hartweg", Germany, Family counselor
  • Dr. Rüdiger Hauth, Commissioner for Issues of Sects and Worldview of the Evangelical Church of Westfalen, Dortmund, Germany
  • Anton Hein, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Christian apologist
  • http://www.gospelcom.net/apologeticsindex/
    Ingo Heinemann, Bonn, Germany, attorney, Chairman, AGPF
    - Author of the first book about Scientology in Germany (1979)
    - Website: www.Ingo-Heinemann.de("Scientology-Kritik")
  • Andreas Heldal-Lund, Stavanger, Norway, IT Manager
  • H. Keith Henson, Palo Alto, CA USA, Consulting Engineer
  • Rüdiger Hintze, Hamburg, Germany, Lawyer
  • Christel Hinz, Diplom-Bibliothekarin, Nordhausen, Germany
  • Deana M. Holmes, Salt Lake City, Utah, commercial real estate
  • Ilse Hruby-Plechl, author, Austria
  • Jeff Jacobsen, USA, librarian for Lisa McPherson Trust
  • Käthe Jelitto, Hamburg, Germany
  • Ingvald Jüngling, Pastor emeritus, Alfeld, Germany
  • Charlotte L. Kates, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA, student and activist
  • KIDS e.V. ("Kinder in destruktiven Sekten" / "Children in destructive Cults"), Chairwoman Jutta Birlenberg, Leverkusen, Deutschland
  • Klaus Kitzinger, Retiree, Bonn, Germany
  • Tom Klemesrud, Publisher, The Thompson Courier & Rake Register
    246 S. Harrison Street, Thompson, Iowa 50478 USA
  • Lothar Klein, Ev. Arbeitskreis der CDU Sachsen/Dresden (EAK), Deutschland
  • Thomas Kling, Stuhr-Brinkum, Deutschland
  • Heike Kneese, Flügelschlag e.V., Hamburg, Deutschland
  • Wolfgang Kneese, Flügelschlag e.V., Hamburg, Deutschland
  • Natascha Kobitzsch, Leipzig, Germany, Student
  • Helke Koulakiotis, Information Group Krokodil; Weinstadt, Germany
  • Reverend Kurt Kreibohm, Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany
  • Lisa Lech, Cologne, Germany, Legal Office Manager
  • Dr. Helga Lerchenmüller, Stuttgart, Deutschland, Lawyer
  • Arnaldo Lerma, Alexandria, Virginia, USA, Electronic technician
  • Dell Liebreich, USA
  • Renata Linné, Dresden, Germany, Translator
  • Lucia Machackova, Dialog Center Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Eberhard Marx, Executive staff, Hamburg, Germany
  • Mission Interministérielle de Lutte contre les Sectes, Denis Barthelemy, Le Secrétaire Général, Paris, France
  • Rev. Jörg Michel, Hoyerswerda, Germany
  • Doris Müller, Social Worker, Walldorf, Germany
  • Winfried Müller, Jena, Germany, www.religio.de Data Bank Administrator
  • Andreas Muth, Leipzig, Germany
  • Dagmar Muth, Leipzig, Deutschland
  • Manfred Neumann, Psychologist, Berlin, Germany
  • Elke Nietsche, Leipzig, Germany, Advertising Sales Lady
  • Roland Nietsche, Leipzig, Germany, Tiler
  • Jean Nokin, Paris, France, President of FECRIS (Fédération Européenne des Centres de Recherche et d'Information sur le Sectarisme)
    "Nukewaster", USA
  • Karin Paetow-Froese, Arbeitskreis Sekten, e.V., Herford, Germany
  • Norbert Papke, Sect Info "The helping Hand", Fürth, Germany
  • "Peaches", San Francisco Bay Area, USA, artist and computer person
  • Johanna Penzkofer, Housewife, Germany
  • Dr. Viola Philipp, Halle, Germany, Education Division Director
  • Mr. Michael Plotinkov, M.Div., St. Irinaeus of Lyon Center, Moscow, Russia
  • Mark Plummer, Austin, Texas, USA, Writer
  • "Podkayne1", Sunnyvale CA USA, Computer Scientist
  • Norbert Potthoff, Artist and Writer, ex-Scientologist, Krefeld, Germany
  • Ted Purdy, Leadville, Colorado, USA, Consultant
    "Q", Freelance Illustrator/ Graphic Designer, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  • John C. Randolph, California, USA, Engineer
  • Renate Rennebach, Member of the German Federal Parliament, Sect Political Speaker of the SPD
  • Michael Reuss, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, Software Engineer
  • Beverly Rice, Florida, USA, Medical Assistant
  • David Rice, San Diego California USA, boat delivery captain
  • Fredric L. Rice, Glendora, California, Chairman, The Skeptic Tank
  • Harry Riens, Engineer, press technician and Evangelical Religious Instructor, Berlin, Germany
  • Siegfried Rumbaum, Retiree, Berlin, Germany
  • Gisela Rusch, Berlin, Germany
  • Ingo Sawitzki, Leipzig, Germany, Administrative Lawyer
  • Helmut Schmidt, Berlin, Germany, Administrative Director
  • Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schneeweiß, Doctor and Microbiologist, Berlin, Germany
  • Birgit Schneider, Religion Teacher, Oelsnitz, Germany
  • Karl H. Schneider, Munich, Germany, Assistant Principal
  • Dorette Schultze, house wife, member of the Munich Parents Initiative (EI), Isernhagen, Germany
  • Dr. Peter Schumann, Ev. Work Group of CDU Sachsen/Dresden (EAK), Germany
  • Walter Schütte, Journalist, member Parents Association, Munich, Germany
  • Jeanette Schürer, Business manager, Zwickau, Germany
  • Yvonne Schürer, Zwickau, Germany
  • Harald Senkel, Technical Staff, Laichingen, Germany
  • Ruth Senkel, Laichingen, Germany
  • Yvonne Seifert-Dreyer, Hamburg, merchant, acting chairperson I.BE. Hamburg, Germany
  • Ina Stolle, executive staff, Leipzig, Germany
  • Jörg Stolzenberger, Information Group Krokodil; Weinstadt, Germany
  • Harriet Svenhard, co-founder of FRI, Sweden
  • (FRI is a Swedish organization for education about cults and support for relatives and ex-members)
  • Martin Tettenborn, Pastor i.R., Berlin, Germany
  • Joachim Thewes, Goettingen, Germany
  • Reverend Eduard Trenkel, Commissioner for Issues of Sects and Worldview, Kassel, Germany
  • Harald von Treuenfels, Berlin, Germany, Student
  • David VanHorn, Muncie, Indiana USA, Engineer
  • Pfarrer Hans-Jochen Vogel, Chemnitz, Germany
  • Kristi Wachter, San Francisco, CA, USA,
    Computer Consultant and Human Rights Activist
  • Tim Walker, Tampa, Florida, USA
  • Liselotte Wenzelburger-Mack, Chairwoman of the EBIS Parents Association Baden Württemberg,
    Recipient of the Federal Meritorious Cross, Großbettlingen, Germany
  • Gunar Werner, Leipzig, Germany, Founder http://www.mormonen.de
  • Kathrin Westphal, Halle, Germany
  • Peter Widmer, Waldegg BE, Switzerland
  • Margarete Wittstock, Retiree, Member of the Berlin Parents Association, Berlin, Germany
  • Lawrence Wollersheim, Denver, Colorado, USA, Director, FACTNet
  • Kurt Zellmer, Superintendent i.R., Wittstock, Germany
  • Sten-Arne Zerpe, Solna, Sweden, Network Engineer
  • Dr. Marion Zimmermann, Halle, Germany, Education Division Director
  • Prof. Dr. Zinser, Professor of the History and Science of Religion, Free University, Berlin, Germany
  • Ursula Zöpel, chairperson of the Elterninitiative zur Wahrung der geistigen Freiheit e.V. Leverkusen, Germany
  • Anonymous - 4

 

2003

2002

2001

2000

Award Winner

Award

Laudatio

Speech

In the Media

Congratulations

 

 

 

 

 
 

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