Germany and Scientology

My hosts have informed me that a really hot topic in the news right now is concerning Germany's move towards banning the Church of Scientology from Germany. My hosts asked if this is a trend in the US also. I assured them it wasn't, and I inquired to know more of the facts.

The German officials are not viewing it as a religion, but as an organization or business, that they believe has ambitions contrary to a democratic order and possibly in violation of the constitution. Basically, it seems that the government officials are very sensitive to any anti-democratic activity, due to the traumatic occurrences in German history, and so now they are serious about preventing the rise of an organization with any possible resemblance to the rise of the Nazi regime. They have had a special surveillance on the Scientology since 1997.

Just this week, a German court upheld a ruling sanctioning the monitoring of Scientology by Germany's intelligence service. The ruling stated: "There are concrete indications that Scientology's activities are to implement Scientology's program in Germany and to expand more and more Scientology's principles in government, economy and society". The court cited "numerous indications" that "central constitutional values such as the dignity of mankind and the right to equal treatment would be suspended or restricted," in a Scientology society.

The above synopsis is taken from Deutsche Welle, as is the following:
"During the court proceedings the German court heard testimony concerning anti-democratic statements made by L. Ron Hubbard, the American founder of Scientology who died in 1986. The court did not find any evidence that the organization had distanced itself from Hubbard's statements. Certain statements made by Hubbard detail how to harass ex-members and critics of Scientology."

Very interesting...

It seems some rulings in this case will hinge on the distinction between a religious movement and a political one. Has Islam in Germany has escaped these trials--despite the honor killings that are also taking place there--because Islam is a "religion?" (What about Sharia law...? Last week I learned that some in England are proposing having parallel laws following the Sharia system.)
Can a distinction be made between a person's involvement in a religious versus political movement, or does faith, when it is truly upheld, encompass one's entire involvement in society, and hence manifest itself in realms outside the confines of the church/temple/mosque/synagogue?

Seems these were issues the founding fathers of the US wrestled with as well...and aimed to establish a land where religious freedom is upheld, and yet where a democratic society is not at peril. Indeed, the more I travel and live in other countries, the more I realize the differences in the principles on which America was founded.