A/HRC/28/66 38. In a climate of fear and intimidation in some countries — either caused by aggressive non-State actors or by repressive Governments — the population may largely refrain from even talking about violence committed in the name of religion. This constitutes yet another layer of the problem. The growing culture of silence, often exacerbated by restrictive laws, prevents responsible stakeholders from tackling the problem publicly and strategically. Overcoming the culture of silence is a major precondition for holding Governments accountable for relevant political actions and omissions, including situations of impunity. D. The human rights framework 39. The scourge of violence in the name of religion calls for concerted action of States, religious and belief communities, interreligious initiatives, civil society and the media to contain and eventually overcome this phenomenon. Human rights provide the normative framework in which any policies tackling the problem and its root causes must be developed. Their potential in this regard is manifold: (a) Human rights represent a broad moral consensus endorsed by the international community and are binding under international law, thus combining moral persuasiveness with legal force; (b) Human rights are connected with the establishment of infrastructure-relevant institutions at the global, regional, national and subnational levels. This complex infrastructure facilitates strategic cooperation between different stakeholders in the implementation and monitoring of human rights; (c) The infrastructure of human rights institutions and mechanisms at different levels — from global to local — can furthermore help to build or restore trust among people, particularly in situations in which public institutions in a society have largely ceased to function adequately; (d) Although human rights as legal norms do not themselves constitute an overarching belief-system, the underlying principles — such as the respect for human dignity, the equality of all human beings and the aspiration to universal justice — have substantive overlaps with many religious, culture and philosophical traditions. Human rights may therefore provide incentives for strengthening the awareness of the charitable messages contained in different religions or beliefs in order to build resilience against messages of hatred and violence; (e) Freedom of religion or belief, in conjunction with other human rights, provides the normative basis for the coexistence and cooperation of people belonging to most different religions or beliefs and obliges the State to provide an inclusive framework. Furthermore, freedom of religion or belief assures that different communities and subcommunities will receive protection. 40. This non-exhaustive list shows the potential of human rights to bring together various stakeholders who, in concerted actions, should do their utmost to combat violence in the name of religion. Below, the Special Rapporteur discusses specific roles of some relevant stakeholders in this area. 10

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