Editing Raël (section)

==Criticism and controversies==

===Plagiarism===
In recent years,{{when|date=May 2021}} many ex-Raëlians have accused Vorilhon of [[plagiarism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://raelian.com/en/wonjune_lee.php|website=raelian.com|title=Testimonies by ex-Raelians}}</ref>{{Original research inline|date=February 2024}} They have compared numerous passages from his books with those of author [[Jean Sendy]]. Raëlian concepts such as chemical education, infinity, geniocracy, and others are all found in Sendy's books. Most of Raël's book ''Sensual Meditation'' is said to have been derived from the [[Silva Method|Silva 'Mind Control' Method]], which was allegedly taught to him by ex-level-5 guide of the Canadian Raelian Movement, Jean-Denis Saint-Cyr.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Saint-Cyr|first1=Jean-Denis|title=Confessions de Raël à son ex-bras droit|trans-title=Raël's confessions to his former right-hand man|language=fr|date=2009|publisher=Les Éditions au Carré inc.|isbn=978-2-923335-18-6}}</ref>

In her book ''Raël, Thief of Souls: Biography of a Liar'' ({{langx|fr|Raël, Voleur d'âmes : Biographie d'un menteur}}), Maryse Péloquin provides the result of her ten years of research into Vorilhon and his movement, with evidence to support the conclusion that Raël has copied concepts from, and often paraphrased full paragraphs from, other UFO and [[ancient astronaut]] authors of the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, such as Sendy, [[Brinsley Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty|Brinsley Trench]], and [[Robert Charroux]].<ref name="Raël : Voleur d'âmes">{{cite book|last1=Péloquin|first1=Maryse|title=Raël, Voleur d'âmes : Biographie d'un menteur|trans-title=Raël, Thief of Souls: Biography of a Liar|language=fr|date=2004|publisher=Editions Trait d'Union |isbn=2-89588-088-3}}</ref> In her book, the dialogue of Raël's "encounter with an ET" is shown to closely resemble that of "contactee" [[George Adamski]], who claimed that he had an encounter on 13 December 1952.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Much of the Raëlian philosophy also closely matches that of [[Rajneesh|Osho]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://raelian.com/en/sage_ali.php|website=raelian.com|title=Testimonies by ex-Raelians}}</ref> The white costume Raël wears closely resembles one that Osho was known to have worn.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

===Appearances in the media===
In 1992, Raël appeared on ''Ciel mon Mardi'', a French talk show hosted by journalist [[Christophe Dechavanne]]. Toward the end of the show, Raël's sexual liberalism was critiqued by a priest, a social worker, and a psychologist. A former Raëlian, Jean Parraga, believed that his wife and children were being held as prisoners, and that Raël attempted to break up his family. Parraga thought that his wife and children were being treated like criminals in activities such as orgies and sacrifices that involve children, at the [[Raëlism#Sensual meditation|Sensual Meditation]] camp. Parraga also had a criminal record as a drug dealer and car thief, and in August 1992, he attempted to shoot Raël.<ref name="SusanJPalmer">Susan J. Palmer, [http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVol4No2/Rael.htm ''The Raël Deal''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050615085304/http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVol4No2/Rael.htm |date=15 June 2005 }}, ''Religion in the News'', Summer 2001, Vol. 4, No. 2.</ref>

Raëlians from around the world sent letters of protest to Dechevanne's TV station. Dechavanne portrayed that as "incitement to violence" and sued Raël. The judge appointed to the case decided to question Raël. Raël agreed to ask his members to stop sending letters if the station apologized publicly. The two parties agreed to drop the feud.<ref name="SusanJPalmer" />

In 2004, Raël appeared on the first airing of the [[Quebec]] version of the French talk show ''[[Tout le monde en parle (Quebec)|Tout le monde en parle]]'', hosted by [[Guy A. Lepage]]. During this appearance, Raël upset panel members with his statements on democracy and cloning. The situation reached its peak when caricaturist [[Serge Chapleau]] called Raël a "farce" and a "nerd", ridiculed his clothes, and grabbed him by the back of his neck.<ref name="Radio-Canada"/> Raël left the stage, followed by his disciples.<ref name="Radio-Canada"/> A fellow guest on the show, [[Parti Québécois]] Member of Quebec Legislative Assembly [[Pauline Marois]], who later became [[premier of Quebec]], called Raël "insane". The [[Raëlian Movement]] asked Marois to apologize; she refused.<ref name="Radio-Canada">{{cite news |author=Radio-Canada |title=Marois refuse de s'excuser à Raël |work=radio-canada.ca |date=21 September 2004 |url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Index/nouvelles/200409/21/003-marois-rael.shtml |access-date=28 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105111340/http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Index/nouvelles/200409/21/003-marois-rael.shtml |archive-date=5 November 2013 }}</ref>

A Swiss newspaper that called Raëlians "rat heads" was sued for defamation. Another suit was brought against journalist Stephane Baillargeon for writing in the Montreal daily ''[[Le Devoir]]'' that Raëlians defend pedophiles and that certain ex-Raëlians claim the "gourou" likes very young girls. After some negotiation, ''Le Devoir'' published a letter from Raël condemning the charge as "ignominious defamation" and asserting that the Raëlian Movement had "always condemned pedophilia and promoted respect for laws that justly forbid the practices that are always the fault of unbalanced individuals".<ref name="SusanJPalmer"/>

===Appearances in court===
In 1991, Raël sued French journalist Jean-Yves Cashga for defamation; Raël lost and was ordered to pay court costs. The judgment remains uncollected. Amid growing legal problems in France, Raël emigrated to Canada.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

On two separate court dates of 2 September 1994 at the High Courts of Paris and 1 October 1996 at the [[Appeal Court of Paris]], journalists [[Jacques Cotta]] and Pascal Martin of [[Groupe Flammarion|Flammarion]] Publishing were found guilty of attributing racist statements and distorted quotations to Raël in their book ''Dans le secret des sectes''. They were fined 10,000FF in damages and 13,000FF in proceedings costs, ordered to insert stickers mentioning the sentence on copies not yet distributed and to suppress of the passage in the next editions, and told that they would be fined 100FF for each non-conforming copy.<ref name="The Raëlian Movement"/>

On 26 January 1994, in emergency proceedings by the Appeal Court of Reims, Myriam Assan was accused of defamation for claiming in her book that "Raël was often sentenced for corruption of minors". Assan was given a provisional sentence of 10,000FF in damages and ordered to withdraw the book. She was sentenced to pay a penalty of 300FF per infringement and 5,000FF in proceedings costs and to publish the judgment in ''Le Monde'' and ''Le Figaro''.<ref name="The Raëlian Movement">[http://www.hrwf.net/religiousfreedom/profiles/ext/raelianenglish.pdf The Raëlian Movement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011453/http://www.hrwf.net/religiousfreedom/profiles/ext/raelianenglish.pdf |date=27 September 2007 }}, ''Human Rights Without Frontiers''. Retrieved 2 December 2006.</ref>

On 13 December 1994, Gérard Chol, director of ''Le Maine Libre'', was declared guilty by the High Court of Le Mans for public defamation for claiming that the Raël's movement was laundering money coming from drug trafficking, prostitution, arms dealing, and the sale of pornographic videotapes. Chol was ordered to pay 1FF in damages and 3,000FF in proceedings costs and to publish the penal judgment in ''Le Maine Libre''.<ref name="The Raëlian Movement"/>

In 2003, Vorilhon sued [[Ottawa]] columnist Denis Gratton and ''[[Le Droit]]'' newspaper for $85,000 in [[defamation]] damages over a 23 January 2003 column; Raël lost and was ordered to pay court costs by Quebec Superior Court on 21 June 2006.<ref>Block, Irwin, [http://canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=3367c989-4025-499f-b03b-fe266f81b526 Welcome to real world, judge tells head Raëlian] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208131156/http://canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=3367c989-4025-499f-b03b-fe266f81b526 |date=8 December 2007 }}, ''[[Montreal Gazette]]''. 3 July 2006. Retrieved on 5 July 2006.</ref>

===Government action against Raël===
[[File:A gathering of Raëlians in South Korea.jpg|thumb|A public gathering of Raëlists in 2006 in the [[Insa-dong]] neighbourhood of [[Seoul]], South Korea, protesting the banning of [[Claude Vorilhon]] from visiting South Korea by the South Korean government.]]
In response to Raël's association with [[Clonaid]], South Korean immigration authorities at the airport denied him entry into their country in 2003.<ref name="Raëlian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry">Ji-young, So, [http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=12250&sec=42&cont=4 Raëlian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235258/http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=12250&sec=42&cont=4 |date=27 September 2007 }}, ''Korea Times''. 3 August 2003. Retrieved 12 March 2007</ref> A planned Raëlian seminar continued, with Raël making some brief "big screen" video-camera appearances via the internet for the several hundred who attended. Raël instructed South Korean Raëlians to protest near the [[Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs (South Korea)|Ministry of Health and Welfare]] that ordered him to leave.<ref name="Raëlian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry"/>

In February 2007, Raël, who wanted to start commercial activities with Swiss vintners, was denied residence in the Swiss Canton [[Valais]], in part because he was feared to be endangering public values by promoting sexual liberty and the education of children on how to obtain sexual pleasure. Also cited was his association with the [[Clonaid]] [[human cloning]] claim; Switzerland forbade human cloning. In a brief statement, Raël said he considered appeal at the European level.<ref name="Cult"/>