Roger Gonnet

On September 11, 2001, thousands of Americans were murdered in a series of terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Before a death toll could even be attempted, French anti-religious extremist, Roger Gonnet, was busy exploiting this cowardly terrorist act to spread messages of hatred using the Internet.

Although government and religious leaders throughout the world appealed for a calm, reasoned response to this tragedy, Roger Gonnet seized the opportunity to forward his own fanatic agenda, posting messages laced with anti-religious and anti-American sentiment to a newsgroup frequented by some violent extremists. This deliberate attempt to inflame bigoted individuals into some form of retaliation against religionists in a country still reeling from terrorist attacks, in itself could be considered an act of terrorism. But while despicable, considering Gonnet’s associations and his history, it is unsurprising.

Roger Gonnet is a French national who promotes government control, and the eventual elimination, of all religions. He was part of a burgeoning anti-religious movement in France led by Alain Vivien, former President of France’s now dissolved Interministerial Mission to Fight Against Sects (MILS).

MILS sponsored a law passed by France’s Chamber of Deputies that allows the disbandment any religion whose beliefs the government disagrees with. This law is in violation of the Helsinki Accords, to which France is signatory, and has been condemned by both the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the U.S. State Department, as well as the Catholic Church, Protestant Churches and numerous religious and human rights organizations.

Roger Gonnet was remarkably well-informed about the activities of MILS to the extent that he was very likely in their employ.

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Gonnet has a long history of joining religions then attacking them once he has moved on. He has been a practicing Roman Catholic and a member of the Church of Scientology and later conducted vicious hate campaigns against both. He collects anti-religious propaganda of any nature, against any group, and posts this indiscriminately to his website in what appears to be an effort to whip up hatred against religion in general.

While apparently unemployed, Gonnet is somehow able to travel throughout France intimidating parishioners with hate demonstrations at their Churches. He consorts with copyright anarchist Zenon Panoussis, and anti-religious extremist Gerald Armstrong, who have both had judgments made against them in their own countries. Armstrong fled the U.S., first for Canada, then Europe, after a court levied heavy fines against him for violating the terms of a settlement agreement.

Gonnet has also traveled about Europe meeting with members of other hate organizations. He is closely connected to the anti-religious activities of Hamburg government employee Ursula Caberta in Germany.

Gonnet appears to spend the remainder of his time spreading hate propaganda on a variety of internet newsgroups. Gonnet has a close association with suspected German government operative, Tilman Hausherr, whose hate propaganda appears on French newsgroups translated by Gonnet.

On an English-speaking newsgroup, while discussing bombthreats against the Church of Scientology, Gonnet advocated blowing up Scientology churches. When a bailiff later showed up at his door with a complaint against him for making this bomb threat, Gonnet quickly recanted and claimed he was “just joking.”

Gonnet is a virulent defender of known explosives expert and convicted hate criminal, Keith Henson, who fled the U.S. to avoid sentencing.