44 court of Greenway
Northbrook, Il 60062
Oct. 19, 2002

To the Editor
The Chicago Reader
11 East Illinois st.
Chicago, IL 60611

The Chicago Church of Scientology's Mary Anne Ahmad's diatribe (Oct. 16) against the Reader and writer Tori Marlan for printing Marlan's "Death of a Scientologist story is typical of Scientology's rabid fanaticism.

It is a sad truth that in the U.S. almost anyone can call almost anything a religion and can quite easily get a tax-exempt status from the IRS. I was a member of Scientology in the 70s when L. Ron Hubbard had an epiphany and realized that he could get out of paying taxes by declaring his Scientology-Dianetics concoction a 'religion.' We Scientologists were instructed to wear clerical collars and to call ourselves ministers so that the public would perceive us as a real 'church.' A 15 minute Ordination course was thrown together and after this and paying $200, there we were… ministers and 'parishioners' in the Church of Scientology. Hubbard drew up a nice sounding 'Creed' and awarded himself the title of "Doctor of Scientology." This was a farce then which we all had a lot of fun with but it is a dangerous con now.

Mary Anne Ahmads religious pretentions and her accusations against the Reader and Tori Marlan ring very hollow when one considers her background. Ms. Ahmad was very deeply involved in the intensive harrassment campaign which Scientology mounted against the Cult Awareness Network (CAN). Soon after I went to work as a CAN staff member, she sent around letters trying to frame me on hate mail charges. These were phony charges and, of course, she could not back them up. Ahmad and the late Greg Bashaw attempted to steal CAN mail. Bashaw showed up at CAN's diversionary Mail drop, flashed some bogus papers and demanded that CAN's mail be turned over to him. Ahmad followed this up with demanding & threatening phone calls. Fortunately, an alert and determined Mail drop owner refused to turn CAN mail over to them.

Randy Kretchmar, an associate of Mary Anne Ahmad at the Chicago Church of Scientology, was named in a Declaration as an accomplice in a bizarre plot to murder Cynthia Kisser, the Executive Director of CAN. Fortunately this plot was aborted. Gary Scarff, a Scientologist at the time and Kretchmar's partner in this murder plot also infiltrated CAN as a Jonestown survivor. Scarff appeared around the country with his phony Jonestown survivor act until he was discovered to be a spy for the Church of Scientology. All of this did considerable damage to CAN along with an estimated 25 million dollars that Scientology spent on legal and other harassments. CAN was forced into bankruptcy and CAN closed in 1996.

As a CAN staff member I took at least two phone calls from women seeking information on Scientology who had found letters from Mary Anne Ahmad to their husbands. Their husbands had been lured into Scientology via a Management scam, the wives refused to get involved and subsequently Ahmad wrote to the husbands, instructing them to get divorced and how to do it so that Scientology would not be seen as being involved

These are a few sad examples of the kind of religious activities that Scientology 'parishioners' like Mary Anne Ahmad are involved in.

Mary Anne Ahmad quotes the 'Creed' of the Church of Scientology…" we believe that the Laws of god forbid man: to destroy the sanity of another; to destroy or enslave another's soul"….What a joke. This is exactly what Scientology did to Greg Bashaw. Greg told his family before he took his life that "Scientology had destroyed his mind." The Church of Scientology bankrupted the Bashaw family for close to $500,000.

Tori Marlan's article was very powerful and she is to be applauded for her metculous research and her writing skills. And many thanks to the reader for giving Tori the time and the space to do it right and for having the guts to print it. Robert Bashaw showed a great deal of courage and concern for others in sharing his grief and letter exchanges with his son, Greg. There are families all over this country that have been devastated from a family member's involvement with the malignant 'Church' of Scientology. If Tori Marlan's article helps one person get out of scientology or saves one from getting involved it will have served a very worthy purpose.

To Mary Anne Ahmad I say, get out of this subversive cult and into a real church,

Jim Beebe

44 Court of Greenway Northbrook, IL 60062 847-205-1134

From: idaj007@aol.com (IDA J 007)
Date: 26 Oct 2002 21:43:53 GMT
Subject: Re: Letter to the Editor
Message-ID: <20021026174353.04288.00000526@mb-cc.aol.com>

Thank you Jim for you letters to the editor.

I was at the hearing in Sacramento in l980 This was Senator Petris' win on his bill #1423 which removed the Attorney Generals right to investigate any Religion. Among the committee members were Willie Brown, present mayor of SF and Maxine Waters present Congresswoman. Both spent much of the time talking and laughing during the testimony of Atty Moranz (rattlesnake in mail-box) and others who were there hoping to be heard. .

. Also there was Gary Scarff to testify of his "escaping " Jonestown.

The room was filled with members of Synanon from Senator Petris's area.

There was really no need for this meeting (imo) as it seemed to be a cut and dried decision before the Representatives (voted in office to represent everyone) took their places in this hearing.

Some one there , prentending to be from Channel 7 Tv, zoomed in and took pictures of Henrietta Crampton and me. We both smiled for this little faker.

I met Greg Bashaw's father this past year. My heart goes out to him and his family. Another sad tragedy which should never have happened.

Ida J. Camburn

WHEN MENTAL HEALTH IS TREATENED From the mind alive Overstreeet

That which promotes psychic health and the full vital aliveness of the mind deserves support. That which undermines such health --encouraging fixation, regression, perennial immaturity, and blockages of relationship between the individual and his environment--is suspect.

From: ffracs@hotmail.com (Garry)
Subject: Re: Letter to the Editor
Date: 26 Oct 2002 23:01:43 -0700
Message-ID: <f6058cf6.0210262201.77213d3a@posting.google.com>

jimdbb@aol.com (JimDBB) wrote in message news:<20021026134923.03450.00000029@mb-ma.aol.com>...

>
> The Chicago Church of Scientology's Mary Anne Ahmad's diatribe (Oct. 16)
> against the Reader and writer Tori Marlan for printing Marlan's "Death of a
> Scientologist story is typical of Scientology's rabid fanaticism.

snip .

> To Mary Anne Ahmad I say, get out of this subversive cult and into a real
> church,
>
> Jim Beebe

Knowing Mary Anne personally, and having worked with and spoken to her on numerous occasions while doing OSA ops against CAN members, it breaks my heart that a sweet lady such as she is so freaking brainwashed in ScientologyCrap.

Mary Anne doesn't need another church. She needs major deprogramming.

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