Stars attack Germany's stance on Scientology - 1997-01-10
Stars attack Germany's stance on Scientology January 10, 1997,
Hollywood's finest have risen against German oppression, striking a blow for a well-heeled but persecuted minority. In an "open letter" addressed to Chancellor Helmut Kohl, cunningly disguised as a full-page advert in yesterday's International Herald Tribune, Dustin Hoffman, Goldie Hawn and company accuse the German government of Nazi-style repression of Scientologists.
"You may feel that, as non-Germans, this is none of our business," write the 34 celebrities, none of whom belongs to the Church of Scientology. "But ... when a modern nation demonstrates its unwillingness to protect the basic rights of a group of its citizens, and indeed, exhibits a willingness to condone and participate in their persecution, right thinking people in other countries must speak out.