Update on the CCHR in Concordia

puck35 wrote:
I came across a gigantic anti-psychiatry display in the atrium of the Concordia library building. I asked one of the goons who they were, and he said "Citizens Commission on Human Rights". Only when I pressed him did he admit that they were Scientologists. We had it out for a minute before he turned away and started ignoring me. A fellow student and I went to the office of the Dean of Students, which sent us to the office of the Vice-President, Services (they are the ones who book events, it seems). We met with a woman there and expressed our concerns. She said there had already been a few complaints, that their office was unaware that this was a Scientology front group, and that they had convened an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss the matter.

I also called the Mirror and Hour to let them know, since they seem to care about these sorts of things.

My general disdain for Scientology aside, my main issues are these: First, the name of the front group lends it an air of respectability, which makes people more susceptible to believing the lies contained in their display. Naïve students might buy into it and be swayed by recruiting materials on their way out. Second, a university is a place where science is conducted, and Scientology's bullshit goes against the spirit of legitimate academic inquiry.

The goon said that they had paid to rent the space, but I wonder if the university would rent space to, say, a Holocaust denial group presenting what they claim are "facts" that have been discredited far and wide. As far as I'm concerned, freedom of expression ends when lies, deception, and coersion begin.

I don't know what else to do, really, but I thought I should post something here to let you all know what's up at Concordia. They're supposed to be there for the rest of the week at least, unless they get kicked out.

Here's the video I took earlier.

NRR wrote:FLIERS: PRINT THEM, MAGGOTS!

http://api.ning.com/files/dmqqkR8LmNb*ur3DAvVDJvNIZ-1nRPtM4PUMrNA8eiXt1Gra1J8C3cawrCAjg0Vc5R64ZQKsbiOBnigMn2-50UyIFfLi5eYJ/cchrflyer1.jpg

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X5QEGSMV

NRR wrote:Guises... This is a golden opportunity for a flash raid!

Who want to to raid Concordia this week?

PS: http://forums.whyweprotest.net/291-scientology-activism/cchr-concordia-university-montreal-43580/#post831089

puck35 wrote:They's only there until Sunday, I think... unless we can get them shut down. I have to follow up with the office of the Vice-President of Services about the meeting they held today.

Some contacts:

President's Office

• Dr. Judith Woodsworth
  President
  514-848-2424, ext 4849
  president@concordia.ca
  
• Jonathan Levinson
  Chief of Staff
  514-848-2424, ext 4841
  jonathan.levinson@concordia.ca
  
• Sandra-Lynn Spina
  Director, Office of the President
  514-848-2424, ext 4840
  sandra.spina@concordia.ca
  
• Jeanne Bisson
  Executive Assistant to the President
  514-848-2424, ext 4805
  jeanne.bisson@concordia.ca
  
• Louise Ryan
  Executive Assistant to the President
  514-848-2424, ext. 4189
  louise.ryan@concordia.ca
  
• Mireille Wahba
  Assistant
  514-848-2424, ext. 4868
  mireille.wahba@concordia.ca
  

Office of the Vice-President, Services

Michael Di Grappa, Vice-President, Services
Michael.DiGrappa@concordia.ca

Denise Karelis, Manager, Administrative Services
Denise.Karelis@concordia.ca

Georgia Adamopoulos, Executive Assistant to the Vice-President
G.Adamopoulos@concordia.ca

Dean of Students

dofs@alcor.concordia.ca

PRESS RELEASE

Exhibit: "La psychiatrie: la vérité sur ses abus"

Psychotropic drugs that make you lose your mind
In a time where school shootings perpetrated by murderers under the
influence of antidepressants or other psychotropic drugs are more and
more common, it is time to raise a concern about the dangerous effects
of psychiatric drugs. In the past few years, the Food and Drug
Administration (USA) and Health Canada have published warnings on
antidepressants and stimulants frequently prescribed to kids and adults.

Stimulants to offset education problems
How did we get to a point where Ritalin prescriptions In Québec
increased 170% over other Canadian provinces? This was reported by a
Montreal newspaper back in January 2009.

Responding to this abnormal situation, Dr. Yves Lamontagne, president
of the “Collège des médecins du Québec”, says that the problem stems
from doctors being strongly urged to prescribe the drugs, admitting
that thousands of prescriptions were not based on medical diagnostics.

Michelle Courchesne, Quebec's Minister of Education, announced an
improvement of the situation by the implementation of a support program
for students in difficulty, clearly suggested that the solution should
come from our education system, not from the pharmacological industry.

Medical drugs causing the death of thousands of elders
A CBC News investigation from April 2005 based on the analysis of
documents from Health Canada obtained by virtue of the law on
information access, revealed that between the years 2000 and 2005,
approximately 16,500 elderly people have died from the side effects of
drugs, including antidepressants and tranquillizers. There is no reason
to believe that the last four years saw an improvement of the
situation. Ref. : Drugs killing thousands of seniors yearly

Visiting the exhibit: "La psychiatrie : la vérité sur ses abus"
The purpose of the exhibit is to inform the public on questions which
otherwise are left unanswered, to expose the abuses of one of the most
prolific industries in the world, pharmaco psychiatry and its
treatments. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) presents a
multimedia exhibit - ''La Psychiatrie: la vérité sur ses abus''.

This 3500 square foot exhibit presents 14 shocking video documentaries
where educators, health, law and human rights professionals express
their viewpoint.


Official opening: Thursday, April 9th 2009
Media presentation : 5 pm to 7 pm
Ribbon cutting: 7 pm
April 14, 15, 16 17 & 18 (visit from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
April 19th Brunch followed by a conference on mental health violations
Location: Concordia University Atrium
McConnell Library Building
1400 De Maisonneuve Ouest, corner Bishop
Montréal, (Québec) H3G 1M8

For more information contact : Richer Dumais
Phone. : (514) 473-8316
E-mail : richer@ccdhmtl.org
Website : CCDH - Organisme qui dénonce publiquement les abus psychiatriques dans le domaine de la santé mentale

puck35 wrote:The Mirror is doing a story.

It would behoove the university administration to prepare a public defense for hosting this conference and accepting Scientology money, as well as to anticipate the negative publicity this will bring upon the university.

Good afternoon,

I wish to thank you for your recent email and for sharing
with me your concerns about the current exhibit sponsored by the Citizens
Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), which is affiliated with the Church of
Scientology.

Although I am sympathetic to the issues you have raised
and do not personally agree with the positions taken by the leadership of the
Church of Scientology, I thought that it would be helpful to outline the key
factors which led us to allow the exhibit on campus.

Firstly, the space was booked by the organizers of the
event in accordance with our policies and procedures. Secondly, it is my
understanding that the Church of Scientology is a recognized religious and
charitable organization. Thirdly, and most importantly, we are motivated by our
commitment to ensuring the university is a place where individuals and groups
have the freedom to present their ideas and perspectives, whether we agree with
them or not, in a civil and respectful manner. Concordia University takes
no position with respect to the content of the exhibit or any of the positions
the CCHR espouses.

I am well aware that you may still disagree with our
decision. That being said, there is an expectation that the exhibit will
respect the spirit of our commitment to academic freedom. It is a
precondition of any event on our campus that the emphasis will be and at all
times will remain on the respectful discussion and debate of possibly opposing
positions in a secure, collegial environment.

Thank you once again for bringing your concerns to my
attention.

Michael Di Grappa
Vice-President, Services
Concordia University
1550 de Maisonneuve West
GM-804
Montreal, QC
H3G 1N2

puck35 wrote:Concordia is washing their hands of this! (See the reply from Concordia above.) Since when does the promotion of fabricated evidence fall under the umbrella of academic freedom? THEY DON'T GET IT!

Mr. di Grappa,

Based on the form letter you have been sending out, you seem
unable to recognize that the notion of the Scientology exhibit falling under
the umbrella of academic freedom is ridiculous, for Scientology does not
conduct legitimate or honest academic inquiry. In fact, presenting untruths as
fact—fabricating supporting evidence—is contrary to the spirit of academic
integrity. If I simply made up facts for an essay, or used widely discredited
source material, and passed this off as truth, I would be failed. Moreover, if
I falsified evidence for a research project, I could be charged with academic
dishonesty.

Furthermore, the Concordia letter states that "[i]t is a precondition of
any event on our campus that the emphasis will be and at all times will remain
on the respectful discussion and debate of possibly opposing positions in a
secure, collegial environment." Scientology is not interested in
participating in any sort of respectful discussion and/or debate. Rather, they
silence and harass their critics, often using criminal tactics. You wrote to a
student that "any Google search of CCHR will also reveal this affiliation
[to Scientology]." Have you yourself done a Google search on Scientology's
long history of harassment of its critics, as well as its documented criminal
acts and convictions?

You also maintain that you "are motivated by [your] commitment to ensuring
the university is a place where individuals and groups have the freedom to
present their ideas and perspectives, whether we agree with them or not, in a
civil and respectful manner." White supremacists have their own ideas and
perspectives as well. Would you allow them to present these on campus even if
you disagreed with them?

Finally, Scientology is known to have claimed that psychiatry was in part
responsible for the Holocaust. This is Holocaust revisionism—in other words,
Holocaust denial, which is illegal in Canada .
Local Jewish community leaders have been informed of the ongoing situation. You
should govern yourselves accordingly.

puck35 wrote:This is my latest letter to Scientology apologist Michael di Grappa:

Mr. di Grappa,

(...)

Local Jewish community leaders have been informed of the ongoing situation. You
should govern yourselves accordingly.

Mr. Di Grappa,

As a graduate of Concordia and concerned citizen,
I am writing to express my alarm that Scientology’s front group
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has been allowed to rent
space on Concordia’s campus. I’m sure by now you have been informed of
some of the unethical activities of Scientology. I would like to point
out their repeated criminal activities in Canada and abroad which have
led to numerous arrests, including a Toronto conviction 1981 for
espionage.

You should also be aware that Scientology runs dozens
of front groups in order to covertly recruit new members and bilk
people of their savings through a sophisticated pyramid scheme. Their
front group Narconon for example targets vulnerable addicts and has
been implicated in dozens of legal and media investigations around the
world, including an expose by Radio Canada in and April, 2008: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=narconon%20exposed&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3DVFA_enCA222CA227&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#.

Countries
such as Germany, Greece and France have moved to revoke their religious
status and identify the group a dangerous cult in recognition of more
and more evidence coming to light that their organization is nothing
more than a pyramid scheme with totalitarian underpinnings:

"Scientology works on the basis of massive repression, like a totalitarian
organization which wants to break the will of the people, which is
precisely why we have to fight it," Ralf Stegner, interior minister of
Schleswig-Holstein http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/08/germany.kateconnolly

“In 2001 the French government passed its About-Picard law, an
extremely aggressive anticult (referred to as sectes in Europe) bill
which declared Scientology (among many others) a dangerous sect.”
Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America

By Eugene V. Gallagher, W. Michael Ashcraft http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oZiScvbS6-cC&pg=PA185&dq=Eugene+Gallagher+scientology&num=100#PRA4-PA185,M1

It is important to point out that these redressings have occurred
dispute the massive legal, illegal and coercive tactics of this
organization. Even the Canadian government does not officially define
Scientology as a religion, but rather recognizes it as a religious
non-profit organization despite a massive campaign by Scientology to
achieve status as a religion.

The invention of d-grade science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology has been around
since the 1950’s when it grew from an underground therapy group to a
full-fledge religion in order to evade taxes. During the 1980’s its
criminal activity and human rights violations began to be exposed.
Notably through a the prosecution of 11 of its executive members,
including Hubbard’s wife, for infiltrating, burglarizing and
wiretapping more than 100 private and government agencies in attempts
to block their investigations. Landmark pieces of investigative
journalism began to report Scientology’s crimes to the public:

"Since 1986 authorities in France, Spain and Italy have raided more than 50
Scientology centers. Pending charges against more than 100 of its
overseas church members include fraud, extortion, capital flight,
coercion, illegally practicing medicine and taking advantage of
mentally incapacitated people." - Time Magazine, May 6, 1991 http://www.xenu.net/archive/media/time910605.html.\

Scientology has engaged in criminal activities all over the globe, including Canada where they were convicted for espionage:

"In 1992, the Toronto branch was fined $250,000 for its role in
espionage operations in the 1970s against the Ontario
Attorney-General's Ministry, the Ontario Provincial Police and the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This criminal conviction of a church --
a rarity in legal history -- was upheld [in 1996] by the Ontario Court
of Appeal." - The Globe and Mail

In addition, journalists trying to expose Scientology, such as Paulette Cooper, have been routinely
targeted with illegal attacks by the cult, their lives ruined as a
result: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freakout.

Unfortunately after Scientology’s lunatic leader LR Hubbard died, others were waiting
in the wings to give the cult a makeover, the fulcrum of which is
dozens front groups and celebrity spokespersons behind which
Scientology hides today: http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/frontgroups.html.

This highly litigious and corrupt organization has used every legal and
non-legal means to manipulate governments, communities and public
agencies into accepting them as legitimate so they can further their
totalitarian aims. Make no mistake, Scientologists are instructed to
lie, they are instructed to steal and they are instructed in injure in
order to further the goals of their elite captains. They think they are
doing this, like all cults, because the world needs saving. These
people, among them hundreds of infants and children, are enslaved under
a system of contractual and emotional servitude.

I find it troubling that the university administration would expose young
impressionable adults to this dangerous and seductive group just to
earn a few rental dollars. Would you allow Jonestown, the Front
National or the Rock Machine access to set up a display? Surely there
are more deserving and legitimate groups that would benefit from a
rental arrangement? Allowing a cult to penetrate your grounds shirks
your responsibility to protect students. If this group falls within the
regulations of who is allowed to rent space on a university campus then
I would argue it is time to review the regulations.

Just as troubling is that you would legitimize Scientology’s propaganda against
psychiatry to students, some of which may themselves have emerging
psychiatric disorders. Are you aware that they counsel people not to
take medication for any mental condition, including schizophrenia and
epilepsy? Are you aware that dozens of Scientologists have died due to
this advice and some have even murdered their families after ceasing
necessary medical treatments a under the direction of Scientology? One
such case is Jeremy Perkins, a 28 year old untreated schizophrenic, who
stabbed his mother Elli 77 times in 2003: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/JeremyPerkins/

And compounding the issue is the total lack of scientific or academic
scholarship behind Scientology’s claims. Scientists and doctors the
world over have declared Scientology’s medical teachings a complete
fraud and cautioned against the dangers of their treatment methods.
Working with a totally invalid group such as Scientology devalues you
as a credible academic institution and will hurt Concordia’s reputation
as a place of higher learning. Further, the fact that you allow
Scientology to cloak itself behind the CCHR without requiring full
disclosure of their identity borders on collusion.

In fact, Scientology doesn’t even agree with formal education, preferring its
own minions to teach themselves uninstructed for just a few hours a day
with a lump of clay up to the age of 10 or 12. After that they enjoy a
life of utter child slavery, with 12-16 hour work-days of heavy and
menial labour, malnourishment, no parental contact and no exposure to
the outside world. This is a group that believes in forced abortions,
no medical treatment for its “parishioners” and beats, starves,
degrades and mentally tortures anyone in their grasp regardless of age.

I call open you to investigate this group and reconsider allowing them to
hide under the cloak of religious freedom. Scientology is no more
legitimate than the mafia or the Hells Angels. And they are just as
dangerous, perhaps more given their totalitarian goals. You are giving
their propaganda credence by allowing them to shill on your campus.

If anything I have written here sounds outrageous, I challenge you to
simply look into Scientology further. Thanks to the internet, there is
a veritable avalanche of evidence against this cult, including witness
testimony, autopsy reports, and internal policy reports and Scientology
videos. Any investigative journalist has come to the same conclusion
you will. This group is a complete fraud, very corrupt and very
dangerous.

If a place of higher learning refuses to protect
young impressionable adults from this sinister group, then I hold
little hope for our future as a society. We have become utter slaves to
regulations with no ability to think for ourselves, see the truth and
act against corruption. I personally would not agree to participate in
the perpetuation of Scientology’s dangerous fraud, even if it fell with
in the rules and even if it was my job to do so. I would simply refuse
my role in it. I hope there is some integrity left on the campuses of
this country.

Sincerely,
[name removed]
Ottawa

Cc:
Keyana Kashfi, President, Concordia Student Union
Noah Stewart, Québec Representative, Canadian Federation of Students

International convictions:
http://www.scientology-lies.com/convictions.html
Child labour:
http://www.vimeo.com/1295178
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=10114227&nav=9qrx
Videos including court recording:
http://www.xenutv.com

You may or may not be aware that Concordia University is presently hosting an anti-psychiatry exhibit by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a known front group for the “Church” of Scientology. (For more information, see http://anonymousmontreal.blogspot.com/).

What you might not know is that CCHR and Scientology maintain that psychiatry is the cause of many of the world’s ills, including but not limited to the Holocaust. This is clear Holocaust revisionism, sometimes referred to as “soft” Holocaust denial. (Some of the many discussions of this can be found at http://lipstadt.blogspot.com/2007/05/according-to-scientologists-holocaust.html and http://anonforgreatjustice.blogspot.com/2009/01/scientology-holocaust-denial-or-just.html.)

Concordia maintains that this group has a right to express its opinions, based mainly on untruths and distortions, on campus. Bear in mind that the CCHR/Scientology have paid Concordia for use of this space; in accepting Scientology money, many of us believe Concordia is complicit in the promotion of Holocaust denial on campus.

It is also clear that the CCHR exhibit is also a covert Scientology recruiting operation targeting students.

Concordia is replying to most emails of protest with a form letter citing “academic freedom” as its rationale for allowing, and continuing to allow, the CCHR/Scientology presence on campus. A letter from Vice-President, Services Michael di Grappa states that “We [the Concordia administration] also expect that the laws of the land will be respected including prohibitions against hate speech, incitement to violence etc.” As I’m sure you are aware, Holocaust denial can be considered hate speech in Canada.

If Concordia’s complicity in allowing this sort of vile discourse on its campus—again, for a fee—alarms you, I strongly urge you to contact the upper echelons of the Concordia administration. A partial list of email links is included below.

I thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

An anonymous Concordia student


CONCORDIA
ADMINISTRATION CONTACTS:


OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT


Dr. Judith Woodsworth
President
514-848-2424, ext 4849
president@concordia.ca


Jonathan Levinson
Chief of Staff
514-848-2424, ext 4841
jonathan.levinson@concordia.ca


Sandra-Lynn Spina
Director, Office of the President
514-848-2424, ext 4840
sandra.spina@concordia.ca


Jeanne Bisson
Executive Assistant to the President
514-848-2424, ext 4805
jeanne.bisson@concordia.ca


Louise Ryan
Executive Assistant to the President
514-848-2424, ext. 4189
louise.ryan@concordia.ca



Office of the
Vice-President, Services

Michael Di Grappa, Vice-President, Services
Michael.DiGrappa@concordia.ca

Denise Karelis, Manager, Administrative Services
Denise.Karelis@concordia.ca

Georgia Adamopoulos, Executive Assistant to the Vice-President
G.Adamopoulos@concordia.ca


Office of the
Vice-President, External Relations and Secretary-General

Bram Freedman, Vice-President, External Relations and
Secretary-General
Bram.Freedman@concordia.ca

Enza De Cubellis, Director of Administration and External
Relations
Enza.Decubellis@concordia.ca

Russell Copeman, Associate Vice-President, Government
Relations
russell.copeman@concordia.ca

DEAN OF STUDENTS
dofs@alcor.concordia.ca