E/CN.4/1997/91 page 18 of the religion will not extend far unless the State wishes it to or unless extremist religious or political movements seize on religion as a means of salvation. 87. Situations of both types exist, and are not always easy to manage. 88. Between the two extremes mentioned above, religion may adapt to a variety of intermediate situations ranging from militant secularism to a situation where the State and religion interact. What remains true is that, irrespective of history and geography, religions do - to differing degrees play a part in the culture of a society and in human civilization. It is not, therefore, correct to exclude it completely from public life. Neither, however, is it correct for a religion to take over, or to identify itself with politics or culture. In other words, sociological, cultural and political considerations cannot but encourage interaction between the State and religion, it being understood that such interaction cannot encompass extreme positions and that wisdom lies in moderation. 89. Anti-religious clericalism and religious clericalism are just as likely to polarize religion as politics. Politics must remain independent and political, albeit sensitive to religion. Religion must remain independent and religious, albeit sensitive toward the political sphere. The crucial point is always to strike a balance that takes account of religion's cultural and sociological dimension without lending itself to subordination, domination or subjugation; in relations with its citizens the State must, whatever happens, stand aloof from ideology and religion, since citizenship of any kind implies and represents a relationship to a State, and to a State alone. Religious freedom and religious extremism 90. Besides what he has said in the section entitled “Religion and politics” the Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize that hatred, intolerance and acts of violence, including those motivated by religious extremism, may give rise to situations that threaten or somehow compromise international peace and security, infringing human rights and the right to peace as internationally established, particularly by General Assembly resolution 39/11 dated 12 November 1994, “Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace”. 91. Upholding the right to peace is a good reason for developing international solidarity so as to stifle religious extremism. 92. Extremism in any religion, wherever it appears, openly or latently, covertly or overtly, and potentially or explicitly violent, merits a hard look at the causes - including economic and social causes - and at its immediate and longer-term effects: a hard look without selectivity or ambivalence, leading to the definition and observance by States of a basic set of standard rules and principles governing their conduct and behaviour towards religious extremism. Religious freedom and sects 93. The Special Rapporteur wishes to comment on the phenomenon of sects and how they relate to religious freedom.