E/CN.4/2000/65 page 45 seminaries) was very low, sometimes less than 1 per cent. The teaching includes practically no missionary work. The Catholic religion as such is taught as an optional subject offered outside normal classes. 170. The Holy See expressed interest in the Special Rapporteur’s project to organize a conference on education in the field of freedom of religion and belief in November 2001. V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 171. A study of communications in the light of the 1981 Declaration reveals infringements of: the principles of non-discrimination and tolerance in the field of religion and belief; freedom of thought, conscience and religion and belief; freedom to manifest religion or belief; freedom to dispose of religious property; the personal right to life, physical integrity and health; and the condition of women with respect to religion in the light of the relevant international provisions, particularly those contained in the 1981 Declaration. 172. The Special Rapporteur has decided to analyse such infringements by identifying the main tendencies, since 1999, in the field of freedom of religion and belief. 173. The first tendency to note is the spread of religious extremism which is affecting most religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. This takes on either inter-religious dimensions (i.e. directed against other religions and beliefs) and/or intra-religious dimensions (i.e. directed against communities belonging to the same religion). The victims of both these forms of extremism are partly minorities (which does not exclude the reverse oppression of a majority) and partly women (who are subjected to discriminatory measures giving them an inferior and even non-legal status, and very often to expressions of violence, such as physical attacks, kidnappings and rape). These forms of extremism very often originate with non-governmental bodies, sometimes with groups acting out of pure fanaticism related to ignorance and obscurantism, sometimes with extremist communities deliberately aiming to use politics in order to impose their religious views on society, but also and above all with “professionals” of extremism exploiting religion for political ends. It is worth remaining aware and vigilant, however, regarding the passive or active complicity of State entities in most of those cases. 174. The second point is that there is a general tendency to perpetuate policies, legislation and practices which affect freedom of religion and belief. This general tendency itself clearly derives from the following trends: (a) A gradual decline in anti-religious and religious control policies in the interest of political ideology since the end of the cold war. Such policies undoubtedly persist in a number of countries, though in more subtle forms. The aim is no longer, at least officially and publicly, to eradicate religion, but to recognize it and allow it to manifest itself, though within the framework of strict controls by the authorities, in fact amounting to interference incompatible with international law; (b) The pursuit of policies of intolerance and discrimination by authoritarian regimes against communities of religion or belief seen as opposing the authorities’ goals;