In July 2000, a Florida businessman of German nationality filed suit against Ursula Caberta, a German official in the Hamburg Interior Senate responsible for much of the discrimination against Scientologists. Over the years, Caberta has done everything possible to get Scientologists thrown out of jobs, socially pilloried, and harassed. The suit sought $75,000 in damages and a permanent injunction against Caberta from distributing “filters”—documents that make employment conditional on an individual stating that he is not a Scientologist - in the United States.

The plaintiff, Mr. H. H., a sales representative with the computer company, RTI, had been presented with a filter created and distributed by Caberta when engaged in negotiations with the German company POSPartner Gmbh, which was interested in purchasing RTI’s software products. Mr. H. refused to sign it, and POS withdrew its offer of purchase from his company.

Caberta tried to persuade the Florida court to dismiss the lawsuit by claiming protection as a German official under the sovereign immunity law, which says another country’s officials cannot be sued in the United States for what are government acts. The federal judge and then the Federal Appeals Court rejected her request and held that the suit should go forward. During the litigation, Federal Judge Elizabeth Jenkins blasted Caberta for being “evasive, argumentative, and non-responsive”, for using obstructionist tactics and for disobeying court orders. The judge also ordered her to respond to eleven very specific questions having to do with her bank accounts and the money she has received for her anti-Scientology work. In addition to the suit, Caberta is under criminal investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe in Germany. She has not denied that the figure totals at least $50,000.

Religious Minorities Portrayed as Insects

The Young Union of the Christian Democratic Union, the party of Helmut Kohl, published a booklet depicting members of minority religions as insects. You can see the cover here. The title is “Insects - No Thanks.”

The Results of the Hate Campaign

The inevitable consequences of a campaign of hate and propaganda against targeted religious minorities may be seen in this graffiti sprayed on walls where Scientologists live.