The continued discrimination against scientologists in Germany.
Then a Munich politician is mentioned in an American jazz magazine, you know something very strange must have happened. Why else would a monthly like Down Beat, which for some 60 years has been dealing with the swinging side of life, devote a paragraph of its lead article to the remarks of Hans Zehetmaier, Minister of Culture of the State of Bavaria. Zehetmaier, one might muse, is not known for his ability to play the blues or arrange a standard. American keyboardist, Chick Corea plays the blues, -but not in Bavaria But Zehetmaier's tune is not likely to be ignored these days. On the contrary, it has earned him something of a reputation in the international jazz world. But as his melody lacks beauty and subtle phrasing, and the instrument he has chosen reminds many listeners of the ugly German sound of old, this reputation is not to his advantage. In the October issue of Down Beat, editor Ed Enright's piece, titled "A Target of Religious Discrimination," puts the spotlight on the case of American keyboardist Chick Corea. In May 1993,Corea's scheduled appearance at the World Athletics Championship concert in Stuttgart was cancelled due to the fact that the pianist and composer is a member of the church of Scientology. Recalls Enright, "The incident generated a condemnation from the United Nations Human Rights Commission in its 1995 annual report. Several musicians-, including B.B. King, Herbie Hancock and Stanley Jordan, -refused to play in Baden-Württemberg as a result." This spring, Corea was scheduled to play in the Bavarian city of Burghausen, the famous festival spot near the Austrian border. The project was beaten down, in the words of the Down Beat editor, by Markus Sackmann, a Bavarian member of Parliament, who publicly asserted that Corea should bebarred from performing because of his religious beliefs. Zehetmaier, at first insisted that the concert go forward. But the following month, reversed his position and issued a statement blacklisting Corea from ever performing at state-subsidized events in Bavaria. Meanwhile, as Ed Enright reports, Benjamin Gilman, head of the International Relations Committee in the U.S. Congress, has personally taken up Corea's cause. On July 1, he wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher requesting a human-rights dialogue with Germany. "Mr. Chick Corea ... is one of several American citizens who have apparently been the subject of discriminatory actions by German government officials ... it seems that this is an issue that would warrant intervention by our government on his behalf." Whether Mr. Christopher has already reacted to the letter by addressing Bavarian or German authorities, Down Beat does not report. But the magazine quotes Chick Corea, who "seemed more surprised than insulted" by the blacklisting. "The pressure is building up, -it's a very strange situation that I find myself in. I've been studying Scientology since 1968 and loving it. I do call myself a Scientologist. In Germany they say, well, he's an 'avowed' Scientologist, like I've 'admitted' it." But Corea plans to continue to play at concerts not subsidized by the German government. "The last time I was in Munich ... the audience was warm and friendly. The German audiences have always been cool and fine. It's not the issue with them. It's a handful in the German government that are doing whatever it is they're doing." "Basically, the Germans are trying to run Scientology out of the country," observes Corea. And he's right- -at least as far as German states run by conservative Catholic administrations, like Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, are concerned. In the northern, Protestant parts of the country, -like Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Berlin, -government officials are notably less hysterical about the so-called "menace" of Scientology. The deep South, by contrast, is fighting it in a manner similar to the ancient practice of witch-hunting. In Germany, Scientology is not allowed to call itself a church. It's a sect, the head of which has been accused of "brainwashing" its some 60,000 members and trying to gain power and control over German institutions, companies and banks. All they're after is our money, -such is the belief of the Bavarian Stammtisch. Now that Communism has ceased to be a threat, both public and official opinion seem to enjoy finding new enemies-of-state. Keeping a watchful eye on the, admittedly, sometimes dubious activities of a sect is a right no administration in the world can be denied. But is it worth sacrificing the democratic values this country has developed in half a century? What is the next step? Will they forbid theaters to show movies starring other avowed American Scientologists like Tom Cruise or John Travolta? In the U.S., Scientology is a religion. And in Germany, nobody should be discriminated against because of his religious beliefs, either. "It is a violation of the Constitution," Chick Corea reminds us. A private lesson for a Bavarian minister given by an American artist. Strange things happen these days.