The Case Against the "Peace Palace" And A Response to Rudy Butler

In response to an overwhelming public outcry opposing the building of the Maharishi's Peace Palace, District 4 Supervisor Rudy Butler has been in damage control mode, assuring Goochland residents that those of us organizing the resistance are overreacting and saying that we are "spreading false rumours."

Let me state personally that I do not wish to go to war with Mr. Butler. However, he was given extensive amounts of well documented information citing the reasons why Goochland County should be alarmed over the prospect of becoming home to the Maharashi's "Peace Palace."

Unfortunately, Mr. Butler chose to ignore that information, and dismissed our concerns as being intolerant. At a recent Republican Party meeting, he reportedly suggested that we are claiming the Maharishi's followers are dangerous criminals and perhaps terrorists. That is hyperbolic nonsense, but an objective review of their track record makes clear that they are a menace and have created problems for locals in many places where they practice their peculiar brand of "peace." On more than one occasion, Mr. Butler has referred to the Transcendental Meditation cult as "Muslims" and misidentified their world headquarters as being in "Illinois" as opposed to Iowa.

Mr. Butler is now congratulting himself by boasting that he has directed the state Attorney General's office to investigate the matter and that the investigation validates his lack of concern. Why didn't he bother reading any of the material himself? Mr. Butler never returned my phone calls after I provided information to him. Although the Maharishi is a fugitive from justice, we've never asked for a criminal investigation of his followers. Plenty of damning information is publicly available. I've personally spoken to four former residents of Fairfield, Iowa and all of them agree that this cult has ruined what was once a peaceful town of 10-thousand residents.

Please take a moment to review some of the information and decide for yourself whether we are overreacting:

- Washington Post article (read here) describing a bizarre news conference with the Maharishi himself where he lays out his global Peace Palace strategy. Note that this was actually a "tele-conference" with the Marharishi speaking from his monastery in the Netherlands. He doesn't get around much because he is wanted in the United States, India and Switzerland on charges of tax evasion!

"One recurring theme was his (the Maharishi) loathing of governments, particularly democracies. “This democratic system is so cruel, so cruel,” he said. “It divides the nation into many, many small, small groups and makes them fight. . . . Democracy — I call it ‘damn democracy.’ "

This article also describes how rich the Maharishi is getting off of selling "peace bonds" and using the money to buy "agricultural lands" of which Goochland is plainly included. The Global Country of World Peace won't stop with the small strip of land behind the bank. This website is loaded with dozens of articles describing this cult's pattern of targeting communities and expanding their influence.

- Associated Press article (read here) describing the group's attempt to seize farmland by eminent domain in Iowa:

"The meditating community has met with resistance and sometimes hostility from the farmers, residents and business owners of Fairfield, where Yogi and his TM organizations bought the defunct Parsons College campus in 1974. In 2001, a group of the meditators decided to establish their own city a few miles north of Fairfield. Since its inception, Maharishi Vedic City has generated local controversy."

- Article from the London-based Guardian Newspaper (read here) , describing a murder on the campus of Maharishi University in Iowa:

"The Maharishi himself is reported to have blamed the violence on US foreign policy. Dr Craig Pearson, executive vice-president of Maharishi University, said: 'Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has made one comment regarding this event. He said that this is an aspect of the violence we see throughout society, including the violence that our country is perpetrating in other countries."

"Critics of the Maharishi - including former students and staff and Fairfield residents - have been inundating the local newspaper with calls and emails. They allege that the movement strives to prevent negative publicity that might halt donations from its wealthy alumni."

It's worth mentioning that all three of the above articles are from either centrist (AP) or liberal (Washington Post & Guardian) media outlets. We do not object to the Maharishis followers simply because they are strange or eccentric. We do object to them because they are a well funded group of fanatics who have a political and social agenda that has resulted in serious conflict in other communities, especially Fairfield, Iowa.

Residents of Goochland should be advised that the construction of the Peace Palace is not a done deal! The lot behind the Bank of Goochland at the corner of Broad and Manakin Road falls within what is known as the "overlay district," or, within 500 feet of Broad Street. That means that the Peace Palace building design must be approved by the Design Review Committee. So far, building plans have not been submitted. However, at some point in the near future, a decision will have to made and that decision will likely rest with the five members of the Design Review Committe, all of whom are appointed by their respective Supervisor.

Learn the facts about this cult, and let your Supervisor know (click here to call your supervisor)that we will not allow these anti-democratic, anti-American people to come to Goochland without a fight!

(posted by Jim Hale)