here are two ways to strengthen human rights protections. One is to pass legislation that will bring about enforcement of human rights standards. The other is to increase public understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its pursuant international human rights instruments, as well as the guarantees of basic rights provided in national constitutions.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance have found that certain national governments in western Europe have fallen short of compliance with international human rights treaties. They are willing to extend fundamental rights to members of majority religions, but they fail the real test—granting of rights to religious minorities.
Although most constitutions in theory protect religious freedom, specific laws against religious discrimination are non-existent or weak in many European countries. In the United States, Holland and some European countries, a person can file suit if refused employment on the grounds of his religion. In Germany, this is impossible because the law does not provide for it. In Austria and Russia, blatantly unconstitutional legislation that strips minority religions of their rights to equal treatment has been ramrodded through Parliament. The law in these countries does not provide a ready means to have this legislation declared unconstitutional and rescinded.
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