Anonymous today announced a campaign to launch government inquiries into the Church of Scientology's status as a tax exempt organization. 
United States of America (Press Release) February 21, 2008 --
LOCATION UNSPECIFIED - Anonymous today announced a campaign to launch government inquiries into the Church of Scientology's status as a tax exempt organization. Beginning on February 26th and continuing on Tuesdays thereafter, Anonymous plans to coordinate phone calls and letter writing activities directed at their Federal legislators. Similar efforts are planned around the world. The internet-based group made reference to an unconstitutional agreement for tax exemption between the IRS and the Church of Scientology.
"Since 1993, the Church of Scientology has enjoyed favored religious status in violation of the First Amendment. Anonymous aims to draw attention to this violation of our Bill of Rights, and to initiate congressional hearings in to their validity," said David Mudkip, an American member of Anonymous. "The Church of Scientology's agreement with the IRS grants the organization tax-exempt religious education, a provision that no other religion in the United States enjoys, including widespread faiths such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This makes the Church of Scientology a favored religion, a severe violation of the United States Constitution."
On October 1, 1993, the Church of Scientology obtained tax exemption from the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This ended 26 years of what the Church itself has described as a "war" against the IRS, in which it used extraordinary and in many cases illegal tactics - bugging government offices, stealing mountains of classified files, having private detectives pursue senior government officials, launching thousands of lawsuits, publishing full-page attack adverts in US daily newspapers, and so on.(1)
An essential element of the Church of Scientology campaign for tax exemption was the huge number of lawsuits which its members launched under its orders against the IRS. According to the Church of Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, at the time of the tax exemption agreement in 1993 there were over 2,500 lawsuits in progress. Though this example is an American one, the Church of Scientology enjoys tax exempt status in other countries outside the United States, including the United Kingdom and Australia.
"On February 10th, Anonymous held a global wave of 108 demonstrations, with over 9000 concerned individuals participating," said Mudkip. "Having generated global interest in the Church of Scientology's unethical practices, we encourage the public to contact their government representatives with their concerns regarding this organization."
Sources: 1. Owen, Chris. "Scientology vs. the IRS" Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science 7 February 1998; accessed 18 February 2008
The campaign's website, still under construction, is located at http://www.coslobby.com
"Since 1993, the Church of Scientology has enjoyed favored religious status in violation of the First Amendment. Anonymous aims to draw attention to this violation of our Bill of Rights, and to initiate congressional hearings in to their validity," said David Mudkip, an American member of Anonymous. "The Church of Scientology's agreement with the IRS grants the organization tax-exempt religious education, a provision that no other religion in the United States enjoys, including widespread faiths such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This makes the Church of Scientology a favored religion, a severe violation of the United States Constitution."
On October 1, 1993, the Church of Scientology obtained tax exemption from the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This ended 26 years of what the Church itself has described as a "war" against the IRS, in which it used extraordinary and in many cases illegal tactics - bugging government offices, stealing mountains of classified files, having private detectives pursue senior government officials, launching thousands of lawsuits, publishing full-page attack adverts in US daily newspapers, and so on.(1)
An essential element of the Church of Scientology campaign for tax exemption was the huge number of lawsuits which its members launched under its orders against the IRS. According to the Church of Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, at the time of the tax exemption agreement in 1993 there were over 2,500 lawsuits in progress. Though this example is an American one, the Church of Scientology enjoys tax exempt status in other countries outside the United States, including the United Kingdom and Australia.
"On February 10th, Anonymous held a global wave of 108 demonstrations, with over 9000 concerned individuals participating," said Mudkip. "Having generated global interest in the Church of Scientology's unethical practices, we encourage the public to contact their government representatives with their concerns regarding this organization."
Sources: 1. Owen, Chris. "Scientology vs. the IRS" Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science 7 February 1998; accessed 18 February 2008
The campaign's website, still under construction, is located at http://www.coslobby.com
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