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"We are not Scientologists"
Dagbladet, Norway
By Anja Hegg
2 February 1998
Executive leader ['daglig leder'] Malin Lillihannus of the national organisation Narconon ['landsorganisationen Narconon'] denies to Dagbladet any connection to the church of scientology, while the book by Hobbard [sic] 'Introduction to Scientology' lies under some papers on her desk.
"The organisation is completely independent, non-political and non-religious. We have no connection whatsoever to the scientologists, apart from the fact that their founder L. Ron Hubbard also developed the methods to battle drugs," says Malin Lillihannus.
She comes from Narconon in Sweden, but plans to remain in Norway to lead the work here. She claims not to understand the questions of Dagbladet about their relations with the church of scientology.
"Our funds comes from sponsorship, from events ['bedrifter'], organisations, local authorities and from money we receive for lectures," says Lillihannus.
In the Swedish leaflet about Narconon it states, however: 'For approx. 30 years Narconon and its Swedish leadership have had excellent relations with the church of scientology and that they are grateful for its further actions to help whenever possible'.
"We are established in 32 countries and have never experienced any negative reactions. In the letter we sent to the schools we see no reason to link Hubbard's name the church of scientology, but in the lecture, we do mention that he founded that movement," she says.
Malin Lillihannus holds up a list of contact persons doing preventive work in the Romerike police authorities.
"We have established good contacts with several police officers who help us in our work," she says and shows a letter of recommedation from Sørum constabulary to Dagbladet ['Sørum lensmannskontor']
Chief constable ['Lensmannsførstebetjent'] Leif Hestvik in Sørum maintains to Dagbladet that he never had any reason to react negatively to the lectures of Narconon.
"We have never experienced anything which can be construed as advertising for or relation to the scientologists. The reactions to the lectures have been positive from pupils, teachers and parents alike. Their lectures were free last year, but recently we received a letter stating that they had to ask for payment in the future. So far, we have not decided whether or not to continue the cooperation," says chief constable Leif Hestvik in Sørum.