1. Death Threats

Prem Rawat has received death threats once over the phone and once in person. There were also two attempts to assault him physically. As a consequence, and on advice from a security consultant, metal detectors are now used at events where he has been invited to speak.

"Hell yeah I hate him! ... Is there a way to join a web site where the sole purpose is to find a way to kill rawat? What would I be labeled then? Apparently there are plenty of folks that want to take him out ..."

bill burke 13.05.2004

Burke is a regular contributor to ex-premie forums.

-------------------------------------------

2. Workplace harassment & spam email harassment

Members of the expremie group have organized email campaigns, contacting the employers of people who actively oppose them. Several of Maharaji's students have lost their jobs or have had to close their business. I interviewed one of the victims, who confirmed that his employer had been deluged with defamatory emails claiming that he was a member of a cult. The following forum post from leading Hate Group member, Jim Heller, alludes to the incident:

Posted by: Jim Heller
Email Address: heller@bc1.com

Do your employers know about you?

Hi (Name deleted), I wonder, have you told your colleagues at work that you follow the former Lord of the Universe?

See, now that your name's out there it's really only a matter of time before one of your 'highly successful' people stumbles upon you via some search engine or something. Hey, maybe it'll be a client, huh?

In a forum post below, Hate Group member Gerry Lyng threatens a different person:

Posted: Mon, May 03, 2004 at 05:16:16 (EST)
Original: Mon, May 03, 2004 at 02:38:14 (EST)
Posted by: gerry Recipient: King
Email Address: Not Provided
Browser Type: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows 98)
Message Count: 37 visits (37 today, 37 this week, 37 this month, 37 this year)

Subject: Hi (name deleted)

Message:

How's things at (employer's name deleted)? Did you tell them about the cult you are in? Bet they'd be interested.

-------------------------------------------

3. Cyber attack: Lawyer Damian Scattini targeted

In late April 2004, the ex-premie group launched a cyber-attack against Brisbane attorney Damian Scattini, who successfully prosecuted Elan Vital's case against journalist John Macgregor.

The Hate Group forged email from Scattini, and sent embarrassing and defamatory emails to hundreds of Australian lawyers, politicians and media to pressure Scattini into abandoning the legal case against Macgregor. One of the voices cheering loudly for the hate mail was Jim Heller, who defended the email as "mere parody." Others in the Hate Group also said that because Scattini chose to represent Elan Vital, he "deserves what he gets." Scattini filed a now-pending criminal complaint with authorities in Australia.

-------------------------------------------

4. Ex-premies attack Dr Ron Geaves

The Hate Group has harassed by telephone and internet the author of academic articles about Maharaji, emailing his supervisor to have him rescind a fair article about Prem Rawat and Elan Vital.

British academic, Dr Ron Geaves, has been the subject of continuing harassment in web sites which infringe copyright laws, contain statements designed to intimidate, accuse him of fraudulent research because he wrote a positive paper about the history of Elan Vital, and encourage readers to write letters of complaint to his employer. Dr Geaves writes, "The latter is an empty threat as my employer is fully supportive of me."

He continues, "To the authors of the website, I say that my worldview may be different to theirs, but critical debate does not involve personal intimidation or attempts to assassinate character. The way to deal with articles that express a different viewpoint is refinement or correction. Creating websites displaying ambiguous headings like 'Geaves must go' has caused considerable distress to my family, whilst hiding behind anonymity is universally deemed to be cowardly...

That the website authors are afraid to identify themselves or to admit that they are writing from religious intolerance rather than a real concern for the accurate, scholarly study of religion can only reflect negatively on them."

The "Geaves must go" web site (2004) was removed after complaints to the hosting service, however, the contents were preserved in another disinformation web site in 2005. The original site appeared to be the work of French Hate Group activist, J M Kahn, posting on the group's forum as Emile (Sep 7, 2004). Then, in typical fashion his associate, Jim Heller, admitted "contacting the editor of Novo Religio" about Dr Geaves (Sep10, 2005).

Click here to view the full text of Dr Geaves response.

Dr Geaves' paper "From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: An Exploration of Change and Adaptation" is available (fee applies) at:

http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/nr.2004.7.3.45?

-------------------------------------------

5. Bogus reports to Government regulatory bodies

Former member of the group, journalist John Macgregor, has admitted writing such reports, which he hoped would involve Elan Vital in expensive and time consuming investigations. He has since apologized to Prem Rawat for that and other activities.

Current Hate Group member, Nya Murray, who lives on the Gold Coast in Australia also wrote a bogus report about Ivory's Rock Conference Centre and Elan Vital, and distributed it to various Government departments. Murray has no first hand knowledge of the topics on which she reports.

-------------------------------------------

6. Disinformation web sites

One of the most vicious and defamatory anti-Rawat web sites to appear on the net was "Maharaji's Unofficial Home Page." When challenged about the contents of the site, the author stated, "The only garbage I wrote is Maharaji's (Unofficial) Homepage. As I said elsewhere, the rest of the site you're referring to was written by other people. " Dave Simpkiss (aka Sir Dave) Oct 02, 2003. Simpkiss runs a pornographic production business in the UK and posts under the alias "Sir Bernard Fuck" on Jeffrey Leason's forum.

The Hate Group's largest web site is EPO. It is a repository of excessively negative, dishonest material, early transcripts presented out of context, at least one document that has been deliberately altered to give a negative impression (see faq page), stolen documents which demonstrate nothing ( see John Macgregor's affidavit ), and a stolen floor plan of Prem Rawat's house showing the location of children's bedrooms. The latter is an attempt at intimidation. The web master, Brauns, continues to publish the writings of journalist John Macgregor in spite of Macgregor's request (2005) to delete the offensive, defamatory material.

At least three such web sites are registered to Brauns (click here for supporting evidence and further information). One of those sites, originally a condensed version of EPO, has been extensively rewritten and the contents 'toned down' in an effort to give the site a veneer of pseudo objectivity. Apparently acknowledging their reputation for vitriolic attacks, the authors claim, "It is not our intention to attack him (Prem Rawat) or his followers, or in any way restrict their right of religious freedom. Rather these pages provide a point of reference for both journalists and those who are interested in the activities and philosophy of Mr. Rawat and the organizations that support and promote him."

Originally calling themselves the Maharaji Information Group, the current site appears under the heading Prem Rawat aka Maharaji Information Resource. They provide no contact information other than an email address. The original site gave the following contact info:

Maharaji Information Group
Jokas
Limbazi Pagasts
Limbazi Rajons LV-4011
Latvia

Phone: 371-9132456
Email: brauns@apollo.lv

The site was written by, and is operated by the same group responsible for EPO.

Web sites such as these are designed purely to damage the reputation of Prem Rawat, his students and organizations supporting his work. They are characterized by excessively negative spin, and hearsay (presented as fact), and often by vitriolic diatribe which reveals far more about the mental state of the authors than it does about the target of their vitriol.

"Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests. The right to freedom of association in recognised as a human right, a political freedom and a civil liberty." (pp18-20 McBride, 2005)

Members of the hate group have posted numerous forum messages encouraging each other to contact venues booked by Elan Vital in an effort to have events canceled or to sour relations with venue management. Some messages also advocate harassment at events or feeding propaganda to newspapers. Some examples are listed below:

"I sent an email to the Daily Californian, the student newspaper at University of California at Berkeley at (email address). See the paper here at (web site URL)." Roger eDrek (real name: Jeff Leason) 04/26/2003 This message also included a list of 5 government email addresses and web sites that Leason claims to have contacted.

"I have time and I intend to write and call. If not us, who will? The only difference this time is that I am not telling on line what I say or write to these individuals at colleges or YMCAs ...I'm not tipping their hand, especially M's." Cynthia Gracie to Francesca 4-10-2003

"Red: PR in New York City -- Grapevine: Performing arts centre staff: Click on their names." (web site URL provided so that hate group members can contact individual employees at a venue booked by Elan Vital) Francesca 4-10-2003

"A premie was just bragging and taunting me again about the great events they are organizing in this town. I told him to expect protests and emailed this to the owner of the venue..." Pat W 4-11-2003 (The sample propaganda letter that follows includes this gem, "If you share concern about the malevolent influence that this cult represents in this town, you may want to consider the ethics of permitting them to hold meetings in your venue.") Pat W thinks that an inspiring message about inner peace is a "malevolent influence."

"I've also complained to some hosts that were fascilitating Maharaji events." Fluster to Cynthia Gracie 7-3- 2003

The following quotes are examples of the malicious diatribe devised by Hate Group members for the purpose of misleading editors and journalists.

"...ashrams were set up by Prem Rawat and required us to give up all of our personal possessions, end contact with our families and live a life of total surrender... Every week we handed over our paychecks to support the community, DLM, and ultimately, to personally enrich Guru Maharaj Ji. ...the only way Pem Rawat has been successful financially has been by conning thousands of people out of their money for his personal gain." From Cynthia Gracie's, letter to the editor of US Business Review, Jan 30. 2003.

The ashrams (1970s -1983) were communal households. In my area in Australia, residents routinely visited their families if they wished, and family members sometimes visited the ashram. All Australian ashram residents enjoyed overseas trips to events. They pooled some items, e.g. cars, and retained others, e.g. musical instruments, for their personal use. Funds were not diverted to "personally enrich" Prem Rawat. This claim contradicts another Hate Group claim which states that the ashrams were closed because they were a "financially liability." Prem Rawat has never "conned" anyone. He has always made 'Knowledge' available free of charge. The organizations which support his work are registered in many countries as charities or NPOs. Their financial records are subject to audit. Hate Group members have never produced a shred of evidence to support claims of financial irregularities. In fact, an investigation by UK tax authorities was dropped when investigators found that Prem Rawat and Elan Vital comply fully with the law. Observers believe that the investigation was triggered by Nick Wright, a member of the ex-premie group who has been involved in the dissemination of bogus reports and stolen documents.

Gracie also claimed to have been involved in a "secret" US project known as DECA. The project was not secret. Its existence was common knowledge. I lived in Australia at the time and I had heard of it. I suspect that her claims about the project are as distorted and libelous as the rest of her letter.

Cynthia Gracie is a diagnosed sufferer of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). The ashram system and residents deserve praise for taking her in and supporting her.

The following quotes are taken from an email which was sent to the US Business Review after it published an interview with Prem Rawat.

"While I have not seen the text (of the interview) I wonder if you did any background research on who, exactly, Mr Rawat is ...Do you feel your magazine has any responsibility to present a balanced viewpoint on individuals interviewed especially since your magazine might be used as a legitimizing advertisement to get people into what is ... a destructive cult which exists only for the purpose of the personal enrichment of Mr Rawat? ... Prem Rawat, who is also know as "Maharaji" ... called himself for years, the Lord of the Universe." Joe Whalen, Jan 31, 2003

Again, Whalen trots out the same old rubbish that he and his associates repeat like a mantra. Prem Rawat (Maharaji) charges no appearances fees and grants free use of recorded material to organizations supporting his work. He teaches the techniques of Knowledge free of charge. It has brought personal enrichment to the lives of countless people worldwide. They are the people who are "personally enriched." He has NEVER called himself the "Lord of the Universe." The term was invented by one of his students in the early 1970s, and repeated by others.

Whalen's email is as distorted and dishonest as Cynthia Gracie's letter. Note that Whalen admits to not having read the interview.

From another email to the editors of US Business Review, Susan Haupt writes, "...please read the stories of the other people ... especially John Macgregor's article from Australia. That is real journalism."

In his April 2005 affidavit, John Macgregor exposed the Hate Group, and explains how he fell under it's influence at a time when he was emotionally vulnerable. He now refutes his former article and has apologized for writing it.

Hate Group members have contacted entities with which Elan Vital does business , flooding those entities with "friendly warnings" about who Elan Vital "really" is. The hate group's goal is to get contracted business canceled. One hate group member, Vancouver-based criminal lawyer, Jim Heller, has repeatedly boasted of conducting similar harassment. Heller makes a living by defending drug dealers and rapists.

Publishing on the Internet details about the private lives and sexual preferences of students of Maharaji and registering these documents with Internet search engines so that people searching these people's names would immediately read this private information.

Systematically posting copyrighted documents on their website, in violation of applicable copyright laws.

Inciting people via the Internet to drug and kidnap members of Maharaji's family.

Inciting people to poison water at the IRCC Conference Centre near Brisbane during a convention.

Filing formal complaints to professional regulatory bodies to have the law and psychology licenses of Maharaji's students revoked. Fortunately, no regulatory body found any allegations worthy of formal investigation.

Calling the editors of newspapers publishing fair articles about Maharaji (at times up to 40 calls a day), intimidating them into recanting their articles.

Publishing on the Internet the floor plans of Prem Rawat's house (where his wife and children reside), publishing his personal telephone number and encouraging people to call him.

Trying to break into the internal email system of Elan Vital.

Using stolen, misappropriated access codes to enter into Elan Vital internal telephone conferences.