Belgium refuses to recognize “Church of Scientology” as religion

IRNA, Iran
July 21, 2005 Thursday 3:53 PM EST

Brussels, July 21, IRNA Belgium-Scientology The Belgian government has
refused to recognise the Church of Scientology as an official religion.

Belgian Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx declined to discuss the
matter with the group, which she described as a sect, local radio
RV1 reported.

Belgium’s six recognised religions receive state subsidies from the
Ministry of Justice and include Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam,
Anglicanism, Protestantism and Greek Orthodox.

The Buddhists and the Armenian Orthodox Church also applied for
official recognition and received a far more positive response; the
Armenian Orthodox Church will soon begin receiving subsidies while
the Buddhists are still in discussion, said the radio.

In Belgium, Church of Scientology is already involved in a fraud
investigation .

A person called Ron Hubbard founded the Scientology religion in Los
Angeles, US, in 1954 with the aim, as he claimed, to “create a world
without insanity, without criminals and without war.”