Olivier Bobineau (sociologist) during the TV show « Ce soir ou jamais » (Tonight or never) on May 28, 2009 reminded us that the term “cult” has no legal existence. He then indicated that MIVILUDES confirmed that these words should be banned from public policy, but that its documents made reference to them constantly. Concerning the term “sectarian aberrations”, it is a question of action, those of groups, and therefore in fact of the “cult”. He enunciates three principles:
1) The object of public policy. The object is not defined on the basis of research, surveys or public debate. It has no definition of “cult”. The MIVILUDES report combines the terms “cult”, “sectarian phenomena” and “sectarian aberrations” linked to a group. No legal or administrative definition !
2) The public policy methodology should allow for a public debate, a meeting of experts and a confrontation of different viewpoints. This is not reflected in this report.
3) An assessment of contemporary public policy.. Implement evaluation tools. From this public policy perspective against sectarian aberrations, there are no evaluation tools. There is one possible evaluation: the international organizations who come to see what is happening in France and who are critical in its actions. When the UN and the OSCE take a stand, MIVILUDES replies that they are critical because these two organizations are infiltrated by the cults. The conspiracy theory leaves us wondering.
According to him, “Miviludes does not use a “combination of sources”, a “confrontation of different points of view” nor does it propose “a real reflection on the matter”. It acts as a Police of the Minds.”.
In France, it is Miviludes that dictates the perception of the media and the public on religious minorities and in particular on the Raelian Movement.
With the recent condemnation of Miviludes and the criticism of this expert, we can conclude that everything known in France about the Raelian Movement can be called into question.
