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Media Articles - 1990s

Last updated
3 December 2002
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Subject: NEWS: Sweden - more scn media coverage
From: pamnell@medstud.gu.se
Date: 1998/04/06
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology

Following the TV 4 News (a major Swedish channel) coverage of the Narconon- King of Sweden story yesterday, several newspapers carry the story today 6 April 98. The two biggest national papers, Aftonbladet and Expressen, run it as the major front page story.

"The King and Queen used in propaganda film by religious cult. The Royal Court says: we don't know how they got hold of the pictures" (Aftonbladet head line)

"The King does not support this activity. Their majesties do not want to figure in this kind of context, and has also not been asked for permission" says Court spokesperson Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg to Aftonbladet.

Apparently, the Scn video contains footage from an internal Court meeting, probably up to 10 years old, according to the Court spokesperson. The King and Queen were invited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Narconon Sweden last year, but declined. Then Narconon asked for a congratulatory cable message (which the King routinely sends out to organizations celebrating anniversaries), and got one of those, which is shown in the video.

The Varby Gard (area where Stockholm Narconon is located) chief of police, Lars Serenander was also shown in the video. He says "Nobody said anything about Scientology" (Aftonbladet)

Narconon Sweden spokesman Thomas Lillhannus says in Aftonbladet: "We have apologized to the Court and to the police. The Church of Scientology will have to cut out the scenes from the Court. He further blames this whole thing on an american TV team from CoS, and says: "We would never have approved this video if we'd seen the final result. Somebody from the CoS has made a f* mistake. There are several incorrect statements in the video."

On top of this, TV 3 news yesterday, and some papers today (I've seen it in Aftonbladet and Goteborgs-Posten so far) tell about a new book on cults in Sweden which will be released today, "Att leka med elden" (Playing with Fire). It's written by Karl-Erik Nylund, a priest who's been studying cults for years. He calls Scientology "the most dangerous cult in the world".

(It's the first time here I've seen Scientology mentioned in two different news items on the same day.)

Catarina --sp2 *** Proud citizen of Planet Neptune ***