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Founded: 2001
Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) was founded in 2001 by Scientologist Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, who has also tried to push Scientology on the nation’s schools through the front group Applied Scholastics. Like other Church of Scientology front groups, YHRI pretends to have a benign purpose that has nothing to do with Scientology. In this case, YHRI is one of several groups under the umbrella United for Human Rights that has created videos and pamphlets based on the principles spelled out in a 1948 United Nations proclamation, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For some reason, Scientology never mentions in its materials that the Declaration was a project by Eleanor Roosevelt. It is a fine document, but many of its principles are uncontroversial in the developed world, such as the right to own property and the right to a fair trial.
Why would a Scientology front group spend money to tell American children that they have the right to own property or the right to move to another state?
The answer is the same as it is for all of Scientology’s front groups: To find a way to get kids talking about Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and looking into the benefits of joining Scientology.
United for Human Rights is not an independent effort by a few concerned Scientologists. We’ve demonstrated how it’s a Church of Scientology master plan to reach the children of the world with its real message.
Don’t take our word for it. You can watch Church of Scientology International president Heber Jentzsch talk at a 2006 Scientology event for some 20 minutes about the church’s plan to use Youth for Human Rights to spread its influence into every nation on earth in a video we posted back in September 2015.
The twisted logic of using Heber Jentzsch to talk about Scientology’s efforts in human rights is one of those times when words like “irony” and “hypocrisy” simply fail to express what’s going on. When you watch that 2006 video, you’re seeing a man who, since 2004, had been held in a literal prison for top Scientology executives known as “The Hole.” Yes, eyewitnesses place Heber Jentzsch in the Hole from about 2004 to at least 2009, and he had been pulled out of that prison just long enough to attend this 2006 event to talk about Scientology’s efforts in human rights around the world. It’s a neat example of what Scientology is doing on a larger scale with these efforts — using vague “good works” to distract attention from Scientology’s own failings concerning human rights.
There’s simply no doubt that Scientology works children long hours for virtually no pay, for example, and in 2009 that well-established fact aroused the interest of the FBI, which investigated Scientology for human trafficking allegations before giving up the investigation for complex reasons.
UHR lists four persons as the organization’s officers. The director of UHR is Rubina Qureshi, who is also the president of the Association for Better Living and Education, Scientology’s umbrella group for its “good works” front groups, and an entity that is staffed only with Sea Organization workers, the super hard core Scientologists who sign billion-year contracts and work for pennies an hour.
The president of UHR is Mary Shuttleworth, the founder of the group and a longtime Scientologist promoter.
And the secretary of UHR is Humberto Fontana, a Sea Org employee and Office of Special Affairs operative who was mentioned here for his role in Scientology’s mishandling of the confinement and death of parishioner Lisa McPherson in 1995.
Yes, one of the Scientologists whose actions led to the gross snuffing out of Lisa McPherson’s human rights is an officer of Scientology’s front group that pretends to have concern for the human rights of children around the world.
LINKS:
December 10, 2017: A close up look at how human rights abuser Scientology is touting human rights as a front
January 22, 2017: National civil rights museum knows it’s harboring Scientology front group, shrugs it off
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. Our collaboration with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’, is also available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
