Discrimination in Business

Discrimination in Germany, which has been the subject of multiple U.S. Department of State reports and has escalated onto the agenda of the U.S. Trade Representative (see also: Democracy in the Balance), was an often repeated topic during the hearing.

Ambassador Robert Seiple, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, testified that the U.S. government was particularly concerned about state-sponsored discrimination in Germany, including some state governments’ inflammatory brochures and the use of so-called “sect filters” to screen job and contract applicants for membership in minority religions.

“We have discussed these issues at some length with German officials, both in Germany and the United States. We have stressed in particular the risks associated with government deciding what does and does not constitute a religion,” he said.

Among the witnesses who testified was Craig Jensen, owner of a U.S. software company which produced a component used in Microsoft’s Windows 2000 operating system. Some German officials had threatened to ban the Microsoft product because Jensen is a Scientologist.

	Members of the House International Relations Committee heard testimony from human rights and religious representatives of attempts to curb the free exercise of religion in Germany, France, Austria and Belgium.

“The standard applied to these countries by the United States is a standard that they have accepted.” – Ambassador Robert Seiple