Operation Clambake

"Xenu.net" redirects here. For other uses, see Xenu (disambiguation).

Operation Clambake
Logo, Operation Clambake
Type of site
Scientology controversies
Available inEnglish
OwnerAndreas Heldal-Lund
URLxenu.net
CommercialNo
Launched1996

Operation Clambake, also referred to by its domain name, xenu.net, is a website and Norway-based non-profit organization, launched in 1996, founded by Andreas Heldal-Lund, that publishes criticism of the Church of Scientology. It is owned and maintained by Andreas Heldal-Lund, who stated that he supported the rights of all people to practice Scientology or any religion.[1] Operation Clambake has referred to the Church of Scientology as "a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion".[2][3] The website includes texts of petitions, news articles, exposés, and primary source documents.[4] The site has been ranked as high as the second spot in Google searches for the term "Scientology".[5]

The term for the organization refers both to a traditional clam bake as well as the notion from L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology: A History of Man that humans follow a "genetic line" which includes clams, and that the psychological problems afflicting humans are impacted by past experiences. The domain name xenu.net is a reference to the character Xenu from secretive "OT III" Scientology documents.

In 1996, the site was one of the first locations on the internet to host secret Scientology documents pertaining to Xenu and OT III. Shortly thereafter, the Church of Scientology attempted to get this material removed from Operation Clambake, and other internet sites, through letters written by counsel and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. After receiving a DMCA takedown notice, Google removed many Xenu.net pages from its indexes, which decreased the site's page rank in searches for "Scientology". The incident inspired vocal Internet users and groups to complain to Google, and links to the Clambake site were restored. Google subsequently began to contribute its notices to Chilling Effects, archiving the Scientology complaints and linking to the archive.[6]

Operation Clambake has been consulted by news media organizations and other groups for information on Scientology and related organizations. Dateline NBC cited the organization in a 1998 investigative journalism piece, as have other publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Associated Press. During the Spring 2002 semester, Xenu.net was included as required reading in a New York University course on "Copyright and Censorship",[7] and in 2003 webmaster Andreas Heldal-Lund received the 2003 Leipzig Human Rights Award by the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the US, an organization opposed to the Church of Scientology.

  1. ^ Heldal-Lund, Andreas. "Operation Clambake FAQ: Why do you hate Scientology?". Operation Clambake. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  2. ^ Didcock, Barry (February 17, 2007). ""Hubbard love": Barry Didcock puts his scepticism aside and goes in search of the truth behind one of the world's most controversial religions". Sunday Herald. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  3. ^ Marney, Holly (May 20, 2007). "Cult or cure?". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  4. ^ Gallagher, Eugene V. (2004). The New Religious Movements Experience in America. Greenwood Press. p. 271. ISBN 0-313-32807-2.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference googleaddssitesbysubtracting was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Don Marti, "Google Begins Making DMCA Takedowns Public", Linux Journal (2002/4/12) (describing Google's response to the Scientologists and subsequent decision to contribute to ChillingEffects.org).
  7. ^ Hull, Nathan (April 2002). "Copyright and Censorship". Computers in Principle and Practice. New York University. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved October 22, 2007.