Anonymous Lobby Against Scientology campaign
From Project Chanology - Toronto Division
The Anonymous Lobby Against Scientology (ALAS) campaign is an organized effort by Anonymous to lobby important individuals and organizations in the fight against Scientology. The primary purpose is the investigation and removal of the Church of Scientology's tax-exempt status in the United States. This accomplishment will strike a critical hit to Scientology's money making machine.
In Canada, Scientology is a "Non-Profit Religious Corporation". The Church of Scientology of Toronto was incorporated as a corporation without share capital on September 8, 1967 under the Ontario Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1960, c. 71 (now R.S.O. 1990, c. C.38 ). The administration of the corporation and, indeed, of all Scientology organizations, was dictated by a series of policies written by the Founder. L. Ron Hubbard.
Contents |
How to Lobby Effectively
Be specific: Know your exact purpose. What do you want to achieve by calling or writing a letter? Do you want to have a five minute face-to-face meeting with your Member of Parliament? Then ask for a meeting. Do you want an investigation into Scientology status as a religion? Then say, "I want an investigation into Scientology's status as a religion".
Don't sound like a conspiracy theorist: There is a lot of conjecture about Co$'s actions, and if you buy into everything you'll sound as kooky as the 9/11 Truth Movement. Stick to document facts. There is enough documented evidence of Scion's shenanigans to bring them down.
Be polite and friendly: Important people are busy people, and they pick-and-choose their activities carefully. You are more likely to gain someone's interest and support if they like you.
Tailor your effort: Everyone has specific interests, so do your research. A politician investigating tax fraud will be interested in Operation Snow White. A professional psychological organization will be interested in the "Free Personality Test" bologna. Education experts and Applied Scholastics. Attack from multiple angles.
Be realistic: You're not going to convince a politician to drop everything and take on Scientology as their personal crusade. But you can easily get them to think twice before supporting Scientology or their front groups such Narconon, Applied Scholastics etc. If only someone has warned our poor friend Bernard Patry before he supported Narconon.
Know your facts: Be prepared to answer any question about Anonymous, the movement, and Scientology. Bring court documents, the Fair Game and other leaked documents, and the Times article for starters. Use reliable documents, not "I heard this somewhere". See above point "Don't sound like a conspiracy theorist".
Lobby Example
Purpose: To warn a Canadian Member of Parliament (Bernard Patry) to carefully consider the facts before supporting a Scientology front group. A perfect lead-in is the example of Bernard Patry's support of Narconon, and as a concerned constituent, you don't want your MP to fall prey to the same trap.
Documentation: A hardcopy list of Scientology front groups with brief information. Ex "Narconon is a anti-drug organization that utilizes a program created by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard. The scientific evidence shows that the program is dangerous, and works mainly to recruit vulnerable substance-dependent individuals into Scientology." Do the same for all front groups.
- Give a means to obtain more information. Ex. The website Narconon-exposed.org
This is an effective lobby because:
- All politicians are concerned about their public image (and usually don't want to be affiliated with fringe groups).
- It is a realistic goal. (It raises awareness at the political level, which is a more realistic goal then getting an elected official to agree to ban Scientology at all costs.)
- More effective, and more subtle, than "ZOMG $cientologists eats babies XENU lolololol!"
Result: Win!
- Newspaper publishes follow-up article connecting Narconon with Scientology
- MP denies knowledge of endorsed organization's ties to Scientology
Political Activism
A lot of kooks contact the office of their Member of Parliament. Political staffers are well versed in protecting their boss (the MP) from having to personally deal with said kooks. This is why you must not sound like a conspiracy theorist.
You can find who your MP is by postal code or by the MP's name. Similar action in the United States is considered in this thread.
