Editing Raëlism (section)

=== Later development ===
[[File:Raëlians at UFOland.jpg|thumb|right|Two Raëlians visiting UFOLand, the Quebec museum which the Raëlians established in 1997]]

In 1980, the Raëlians sent a mission to Japan, followed by a mission to Africa in 1982, and then a mission to Australia in 1990.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=64}} In the early 1980s, the Raëlian Movement bought a campground near Albi in southern France, which they named Eden.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=61}} In 1984, Raël underwent a year's retreat in which he avoided public appearance.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|pp=53–54}} The following year, his first wife left both him and the movement;{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=177}} he subsequently began a relationship with a Japanese Raëlian, Lisa Sunagawa, for several years.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=43}} During the mid-1990s, Raël returned to his hobby of motor racing, competing in rounds two and three of the 1995 Magna Enduro Racing Championship and the 1998 [[Motorola Cup]] in [[Miami]] before retiring from the sport in 2001.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=41}} In 1992, a schism appeared in the religion as a group of about forty practitioners were expelled. They formed a rival, smaller group, the Apostles of the Last Days, espousing the belief that Raël had been the original spokesman of the Elohim but had been taken over by Satan.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|pp=163–164}}

In 1992, the Raëlian Movement bought 115 hectares near [[Valcourt (city)|Valcourt]] in Quebec, naming this property Le Jardin du Prophète ("the Garden of the Prophet").{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=61}} It was there in 1997 that the organisation opened UFOLand, a museum about ufology. Its purpose was to raise money for the Elohim Embassy, but in 2001 it closed to the public, having proved financially unviable.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1pp=65–66|2a1=Palmer|2a2=Sentes|2y=2012|2p=176}} It was also during 1997, a month after [[Ian Wilmut]] announced the birth of [[Dolly the Sheep]], a successful clone, that Raël established the company Valiant Venture to explore the commercial applications of cloning.{{sfnm|1a1=Barrett|1y=2001|1p=393|2a1=Palmer|2y=2004|2p=180|3a1=Palmer|3a2=Sentes|3y=2012|3p=179}} Through it came Clonaid, of which the Raëlian Bishop [[Brigitte Boisselier]] was co-founder, director, and spokesperson.{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=179}} The initiation of this group and its promotion of human cloning incited much debate among other religious figures, scientists, and ethicists.{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=179}} Raël and Boisselier both spoke before US President [[Bill Clinton]]'s Congress hearing on human cloning in March 2001.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1p=181|2a1=Palmer|2a2=Sentes|2y=2012|2p=179}}

At the July 1998 training camp in the Jardin du Prophète, Raël announced that in December 1997 he had received another revelation from the Elohim, commanding him to form a new grouping within the Raëlian Movement, the Order of Raël's Angels.{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=188}} This was to be a [[secret society]],{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=185}} open only to women who would become the consorts of the Elohim after their arrival on Earth.{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=188}} A newsletter, ''Plumes d'Anges'' (Angel Feathers), was issued containing information about the Order.{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=186}} Palmer noted that by emphasizing the unique qualities of women, this group challenged the established Raëlian doctrine that men and women are wholly equal and interchangeable.{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=185}}

[[File:Brigitte Boisselier.jpg|thumb|left|Brigitte Boisselier (left) took on a senior role in the Raëlian Movement.]]

In 2001, Raël toured Asia, giving seminars.{{sfn|Palmer|2014|p=191}} That year he married for a second time, to a 16-year-old ballet student. Raëlism discourages marriage, and this instance was done for expediency, because he had been questioned by customs officials when traveling with her across borders. They subsequently divorced but remained a couple.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1pp=43–44|2a1=Palmer|2a2=Sentes|2y=2012|2p=177}} In November 2002, a local man vandalised the group's Jardins des Prophètes property, causing significant damage.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1a2=Sentes|1y=2012|1p=176|2a1=Palmer|2y=2014|2p=203}} Raël stated that this had been a preliminary test of "The Abraham Project", which is a joint operation between the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] and the French intelligence agencies to assassinate him via using schizophrenic people who are directed via mind-control.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1p=160|2a1=Palmer|2y=2014|2p=203}}

In December 2002, Boisselier announced that Clonaid's work had resulted in the birth of a baby, named Eve, which she claimed was the world's first [[human clone]].{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1p=187|2a1=Palmer|2a2=Sentes|2y=2012|2pp=179–180}} The child was not presented for scrutiny by scientists;{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=180}} the IRM's allegations regarding Baby Eve were never substantiated by the scientific community.{{sfn|Chryssides|2003|p=60}} Many commentators believed the announcement had been a hoax.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=188}} In January 2003 the Raëlians declared that Eve's parents had hidden themselves to evade attention.{{sfnm|1a1=Palmer|1y=2004|1pp=189–190|2a1=Palmer|2a2=Sentes|2y=2012|2p=180}} Baby Eve's appearance gained the Raëlians much international press coverage,{{sfn|Chryssides|2003|p=60}} and also much ridicule.{{sfn|Palmer|2004|p=187}} The group claimed this publicity generated around 5000 new members.{{sfn|Chryssides|2003|p=61}} Boisselier announced periodically that further clone infants had been born, in the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, although the press increasingly deemed these hoaxes and stopped attending Raëlian press conferences.{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=180}}

In January 2003, Raël announced Boisselier as his appointed successor,{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=180}} and also published ''The Maitreya'', in which he identified himself with the eponymous figure from Buddhist prophecy.{{sfn|Palmer|Sentes|2012|p=175}} In response to Raël's association with Clonaid, South Korean immigration authorities denied him entry to their country in 2003.<ref name="Raelian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry">Ji-young, So, [http://wwrn.org/articles/12250/?&place=north-south-korea&section=raelians Raelian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry], ''The Korea Times''. 3 August 2003. Retrieved 12 March 2007</ref> The group then protested near South Korea's [[Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs (South Korea)|Ministry of Health and Welfare]] that ordered him to leave.<ref name="Raelian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry"/> Raël appeared alongside a group of women, "Raël's Girls", in the October 2004 issue of ''[[Playboy]]''.{{sfn|Thomas|2010|p=6}}<ref name="Names in the news">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516181914/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-122098803.html Names in the news], ''[[Knight Ridder]]''. 16 September 2004. 10 August 2007.</ref> In 2005, two amateur documentary makers, [[Abdullah Hashem]] and Joseph McGowen, attended and filmed a Raëlian seminar in Las Vegas, claiming that they were making a student film. They then used the footage as the basis of a documentary, which they presented as an exposé of the group.<ref name="Some Sex With Your Clone Perhaps?">Philipkoski, Kristen, [http://archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/08/68593 Some Sex With Your Clone Perhaps?], ''[[Wired News]]''. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2014.</ref> In 2009, the Church announced plans for a new UFOLand in Las Vegas.{{sfn|Thomas|2010|p=6}}