FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08-SEP-2005
The National Coalition of Human Rights Activists has received a copy of a Scientology email that urges Scientology customers and salespeople to rush to Baton Rouge and prevent victims of the disaster from receiving some relief services. [0]
In an email dated Thursday, September 01, 2005 9:33 AM and titled "VMs in Baton Rouge," Scientology Inc.'s email called for Scientology customers to "keep at bay" some relief workers so that Scientology salespeople could get at the disaster refugees to sell them books, specifically "Dianetics."
"This is repulsive behavior," the president of the NCHRA said in a telephone interview from Gallup New Mexico this morning. "It is exactly what the NCHRA warned of two days ago, and I am sorrowed that the warning came so dreadfully and shamelessly true."
The secret internal email tells Scientology customers to rush to the disaster site and pose as "grief counselors" before the victims can receive real counseling. The fake "counselors" claimed they have set up a bright yellow tent to attract victims to them. This behavior is called "Casualty Contacting" [1] by the Scientology business, and it is designed to find more customers for the business among the fearful and the desperate.
"The vultures are rushing in to feed on the misery and fear of the victims," NCHRA president David Rice said, "and working to keep others from helping those victims. FEMA is already hard-pressed to help these victims--- they do not have the energy and resources to police the disaster sites and eject the vultures. The United States law enforcement agencies must become aware of the problem and prevent such abuse."
In a press release dated two days ago, the NCHRA urged victims of Hurricane Katrina to be aware of exactly this situation.
"What the rest of the world sees as a horrible disaster in the human drama of life and death, the Scientology corporation sees as a great business opportunity," Mr. Rice added. "And that ought to be against the law."
[0] Message-ID: 1652-431A69B0-310@storefull-3336.bay.webtv.net
[1] L. Ron Hubbard, PAB dated 28th Feb, 1956
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/essays/owen_ambulance3.html
