E/CN.4/1990/46 page 22 article and also under other legislative provisions. Accordingly, the State upholds that principle in the case of other religious communities and all Iraqis, regardless of their religious confession, are completely free to perform their religious rites. The State has even appropriated large amounts for the renovation of holy places, shrines and mosques, since they form part of Iraq's cultural and spiritual heritage. "2. We categorically deny that any mosque has been demolished. Such allegations are mere fabrications by dubious bodies which attempted to cause an uproar through spurious front-organizations in Paris, particularly in 1985 and 1986, during the war. The Paris-based International Federation was duped by these manoeuvres. Iraq replied to those accusations and to the Centre for Human Rights at the time. It also gave replies on the subject of members of the al-Hakim family who had been involved in acts of high treason during the war with Iran. Their names are known to the Centre for Human Rights. "3. The Assyrian community in Iraq enjoys the benefits of religious pluralism, which is guaranteed in Iraq within the framework of national unity. Allegations concerning the destruction of any church or monastery in Iraq are totally unfounded. "Replies have already been given to these allegations, which have been made by various bodies. In fact, although Iraq is an Islamic State, it declared the beginning of the new Christian year a public holiday for all and Christmas is celebrated by all communities, since Christianity is recognized as a divinely revealed religion. With regard to the so-called Mar Zaya cathedral, it should be noted that there are churches, but no cathedral, in Iraq. Some monasteries dating from the 6th century A.D., which are still inhabited by monks, have been restored, since they form part of Iraq's cultural and humanitarian heritage. With regard to the Mar Zaya church, the land on which it was built in the 1950s was expropriated for the purpose of implementing projects of public benefit as part of the modernization of the city of Baghdad. Agreement was reached with the Assyrian community on the question of compensation and the community was allocated an area of land in the district of Dawra in Baghdad where a large church was built with the amounts of compensation paid. The State also contributed to the building of the church. We enclose photographs which clearly show the fallacious nature of those allegations by hostile front-organizations that are still repeating the same old accusations." 54. In a communication of 10 November 1989 addressed to the Government concerned, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "It has been reported that the practice of religion has been curtailed by various measures taken by the Israeli Defence Forces in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967. Cases have been reported according to which access to mosques and churches has been limited, worshippers have been arrested or shot and religious material damaged.