Petition against the ICSA

To: Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human rights on freedom of religion or belief

Personal Representative of the Chair-in-Office of the OSCE on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and members of other religions

National Delegations at the OSCE

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

Commission for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities

Director General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission

Human Rights Sub-commission European Parliament


Excellencies,

We, the undersigned, want to raise awareness regarding a new form of religious discrimination and intolerance presented under the guise of a scientific conference such as the one organized by the International Cultic Studies Association, which is to be held at the Fondation Universitaire (University Foundation) in Brussels.

The way this conference is presented is highly discriminatory, targeting religious groups and describing them in an intolerant and biased manner, far from the scientific image the organization is trying to create for itself. None of the religious groups targeted are invited to the conference.

An investigation of the background of ICSA reveals that it is the notorious American Family Foundation (AFF), best known as the sister organization to the defunct Cult Awareness Network (CAN), a Chicago-based group which disbanded in 1996 following a $5 million judgment awarded to a plaintiff who sought relief from an illegal kidnapping and attempted deprogramming by members of CAN (US Court of Appeals Judgment No. 96-35050 Scott v. Ross & CAN). Deprogramming is a criminal method of forcing a person to abandon their religious or other beliefs usually through kidnapping, forcible confinement and psychological pressure.

Founded in 1979, AFF had, for over 20 years, used an American psychiatrist called Louis "Jolly" West as an expert. West is known for his extensive experiments with LSD and also well known for his statements when the American ghettoes exploded in violence in the late 1960s. At that time West promoted chemical castration and the implanting of electrodes into peoples brains as a means of controlling violent behaviour and political activity.

The ICSA continues to keep known deprogrammers amongst its advisors, like American Steven Hassan, who has been an advocate for individuals such as Ted Patrick, a convicted criminal deprogrammer, despite Patricks violent criminal record. Hassan states that the "involuntary deprogramming" originated by Patrick was "the only effective method" of bringing people out of "cults." He even goes so far as to describe Patricks brutality as "help." (As quoted in Religious Freedom Watch).

Both the AFF - and today the ICSA - are working in close collaboration with two other organizations, the FECRIS (the French acronym for Federation European des Centres de Research et de lInformation sur Sectarism or, in English European Federation of Centres of Research and Information on Sectarianism) and the UNADFI (Union National des Associations de Dйfense des Familles et des Individus), both based in France and known for their religious intolerance and discrimination against religious groups. Both organizations are well represented at the Brussels conference of ICSA.

One of the primary aims of the United Nations, as set out in the Charter of the organization, is to promote and encourage:

Respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. (Art. 1(3) of the Charter).

The concepts of equality before the law and non-discrimination are emphasized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Likewise, the European Court of Human Rights has announced a fundamental human rights policy of the European Community to religious freedom issues the need to secure true religious pluralism, an inherent feature of the notion of a democratic society. Similarly, the Court has emphasized the importance of pluralism, tolerance and broadmindedness, without which there is no democratic society.

These fundamental human rights principles are being contravened by AFF/ICSA, FECRIS and UNADFI


AFF/ICSA, FECRIS, UNADFI, have all been active to promote anti-religious campaigns in Europe and it is in that context that the now upcoming conference in Brussels should be seen.


1. We request that the Foundation University of Brussels cancel the renting of the space for the oncoming ICSA conference until the conference agrees to respect the human rights of all groups;

2. We urge the officials to whom this petition is addressed to carefully look into the practices of the organizations named in this petition for their religious intolerance and discriminatory activities in Europe and abroad, and to dismiss them as unreliable partners to advise on religious matters if that comports with the findings:

3. We urge government, inter-governmental and international organizations to utilize unbiased and fair organizations of known reliability which are proven to be objective, neutral and non- discriminatory, to become partners in establishing a true democratic dialogue with different religious groups;

4. We urge all governments to engage in constructive dialogue with all religious groups as articulated by the Council of Europe as recently as 8 June 2007 in Document 11298 entitled: State, religion, secularity and human rights.





Thank you for your attention to these critical matters that affect millions of citizens.

The undersigned