Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. Cruise, also one of the film’s producers, is a member of the Church of Scientology which the German government does not recognize as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject. The U.S. actor has been cast as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Nazi dictator in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase. Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers “will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult”. http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL253889920070625?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true
On June 26th, 2007 Robin said:
This is ridiculous!
What difference does it make what an actor believes? Freedom of religion is part of the German constitution, for crying out loud!
Some individuals are just too darn narrow-minded…
On June 26th, 2007 glink said:
Not that I have a special love for Scientologists. I am a Christian. How can Germans object to the church of Scientology and at the same time allow radical Islamic clerics to preach death destruction and the downfall of all western civilization! That’s more than stupid. Priorities are definitely out of whack. Or is it that the Germans prefer to make enemies who aren’t so dangerous?
On July 23rd, 2007 Harold Dilznic said:
these germans need to relax or tom cruise should put them in his oven.