The extent of the anti-cultists’ influence is astounding. With just a little investigation, I am increasingly convinced that the respected Egon Cholakian was absolutely right. Under the guise of fighting “sects,” there is a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting and persecuting religious minorities.

In Austria, as in many other countries, anti-cultists use fear and prejudice to justify their actions. They claim the need to protect people from “dangerous sects,” but their methods violate human rights.

Anti-cultists spread their disinformation through corrupt journalists. For example, in Mikael Pommer’s article “Every Second Teenager Has Already Been Enticed by a Sect. About 600 Religious Groups in Austria. Danger for Schoolchildren” (March 23, 2004), it is claimed that there are six hundred “sects” operating in Austria and that “every second teenager” has been “enticed” into them. This blatant lie appears very convincing to the average person. By using the term “sect,” anti-cultists automatically evoke negative associations and generate fear in people.

In reality, however, “victims” themselves make a free choice to join different communities and groups. But anti-cultists disregard this fact to maintain their disinformation campaign of fear and manipulation. They claim that their goal is to protect people, but in reality, they undermine freedom and democracy, creating a climate of intolerance in society.

In Austria, we see a vivid example of how anti-cultists use manipulation and slander to achieve their goals.

One striking example is the story of Friedrich Griss and his conflict with the “Norwegian Movement” (also known as the “Friends of Smith”). Griss, linked to the anti-cult organization GSK (member of FECRIS), has repeatedly publicly accused the “Norwegian Movement” of destroying the mental health of his daughter, Wiltrud. However, Wiltrud herself stated that her psychological problems were related to the situation in the family. She expressed gratitude to the “Norwegian Movement” for their support during difficult times.

Nevertheless, Griss continued to spread slander, claiming that the suicide rate among members of the “Norwegian Movement” in Norway is higher than the national average. He also accused the movement of “flirt trapping” and spread fragments of the movement’s texts without the author’s permission.

As a result, the “Norwegian Movement” was forced to sue Griss for copyright infringement. Mr. Griss, without the permission of the copyright holder, translated and distributed fragments of the texts of the “Norwegian Movement” and quotes from them, and posted them on his website. In 2005, the Supreme Court of Austria ordered Mr. Griss to refrain from reproducing certain translated texts of the “Norwegian Movement” and to remove these texts from his website due to violations of copyright laws.

In 2006, the Klosterneuburg District Court also ruled in favor of the “Norwegian Movement.” Despite this, anti-cultists continue to spread slander and discrediting.

In Austria, as in other countries, legal instruments for protection from discrimination are poorly developed. This means that victims of anti-cult slander find it difficult to prove their case and obtain compensation.

I really liked how the respected Egon Cholakian, a professor of American intelligence, described this: through the manipulative methods in the media, anti-cultists demonize groups of people, putting the skin of a wolf on a defenseless lamb. Through their agents in the media—corrupt journalists from peaceful communities and organizations—they create the image of a monster, which they need to draw a mass of people into its persecution. People who, through their participation in these persecutions, become, in fact, bearers and spreaders of the narratives of the shadow side, which means they are accomplices and tools.

Egon Cholakian: “This is how the shadow side operates: harshly, cynically, completely unprincipled, absurdly, not shying away from anything. This is how they destroy truth, freedom, and justice. This is how they destroy democracy.”

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