Tom Cruise is currently involved in a film called Valkyrie about a German soldier who, together with fellow minded soldiers, attempted to assassinate Hitler. It's a true story and looked set to raise controversy from the start, but not for the reason that Germany has cited for having banned the production from filming at military locations.

You see the German Defence Ministry has refused access to the military locations because Tom Cruise is playing the lead character Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, and Cruise is a Scientologist. The German government refuse to recognise Scientology as a religion, they believe that it is an organisation that masquerades as a religion in order to make money, in fact officials even refer to it as a cult.

Defence Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers "will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult".

Is the quote from Reuters.

He goes on to say that the German military has a special interest in seeing this film produce a serious and authentic portrayal of the events around these events. That surprises me. With Bryan Singer directing, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Cruise, Tom Wilkinson and Stephen Fry starring, how could they not think that this was one of the closest chances to get that story made?

I find it crazy that this is their reason for putting a stop to the film getting access to the authentic locations, that Cruise is playing the lead because he belongs to a group that calls themselves a religion and has a huge money earning behind the front...ermm, isn't that every religion?

Now while I might not agree with Scientology, I do find that stopping a film that you want made for these reasons seems like they're cutting their noses off to spite their faces. Okay, so they might not want to recognise the group as an official religion, but demanding that the lead actor be removed from the film or they won't get access to the actual locations seems rather harsh.