E/CN.4/2006/16 page 15 South America and the Caribbean, and Asia. In Asia a particular form of Christianaphobia has begun to emerge in recent years, not only on the part of followers of Islam, which has a massive presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Pakistan, but also of Hinduism, especially in India, and Buddhism, in Thailand and Japan. The material and financial resources available to evangelical proselytizers in an impoverished social environment engender hostility on the part of followers of traditional local religions and significantly exacerbate Christianaphobia in many parts of the world. Christianaphobia is on the way to becoming, after Islamophobia, the second most widespread religious phobia in terms of geographical extent. C. Intellectual legitimization of racism and xenophobia 37. The most profound and lasting manifestations of racism and discrimination are the result of long-term intellectual constructs. Their profound roots are to be found in the ideas, concepts, images and representations which, in specific political, ideological or religious contexts, have postulated cultural inferiority, religious demonization and the natural inhumanity of entire races, ethnic groups, communities and peoples. The impact of these ideas, concepts, representations in education systems, literature, and their justification by science, have, over time, shaped sensibilities, outlooks, imaginations and value systems and thus created cultures of racism, discrimination and xenophobia. The durability and resilience of racism arise from these profound sources. The fertility of this invisible portion of the racist iceberg is founded in this fundamental fact: racism is a mutant, and its permanent eradication requires greater efforts and increased mobilization in the intellectual and ideological domains of measures to combat discrimination. To further an intellectual and ethical strategy to complement the political and legal strategy, in his reports the Special Rapporteur has consistently drawn the attention of the Commission and the authorities of the countries visited to one profound source of the resurgence of racism: its increasingly open and deliberate intellectual, media and ideological legitimization. He thus proposes to keep the Commission abreast of the most serious manifestations. 38. The intellectual legitimization of racism has seen two particularly significant illustrations in the context of the debate on the recent violence in the suburbs of major cities in France. The Special Rapporteur deals with this matter in his report on political platforms which promote or incite racial discrimination (E/CN.4/2006/54), submitted to the Commission at the current session. D. Racism, discrimination and xenophobia at points of entry, and in reception and waiting areas 39. The Special Rapporteur’s attention has been drawn to the racist and xenophobic treatment, in many States, of asylum-seekers, refugees and immigrants in waiting areas, particularly airports, ports and stations. In his view, this is an indication that racism, discrimination and xenophobia are on the increase. Indeed, the widespread resurgence of racism is characterized not only by the strengthening of traditional forms of racism together with the appearance of new forms of racism against whole communities and religions, but above all by the appearance of several targets of modern racism, namely members of national, ethnic or religious minorities, non-citizens, immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. As a result of the overriding focus on the fight against terrorism, the treatment of such groups is characterized by suspicion, mistrust, fear that they may be dangerous, and cultural and religious hostility. Such sentiments result in the widespread implementation of national policies that have a tendency to