A/HRC/2/3 page 5 confirmed by the fact that, in the logic of a clash of civilizations, Governments, political leaders, intellectual personalities and the media have flagged and radically set against each other freedom of expression and freedom of religion. The key limitations and restrictions that accompany the exercise of these rights, carefully formulated in the pertinent international instruments, have been wiped out by the new ideological winds of political and cultural polarization. 2. Current trends of racial and religious intolerance 9. In such an ideological context, two key trends give legitimacy to racial and religious intolerance: the political use of racism and xenophobia and its intellectual legitimation. Political use of racism and xenophobia 10. The insidious penetration of racist and xenophobic platforms into the political agendas of democratic parties - under the pretext of combating terrorism, defending national identity and the national interest, promoting national preference and combating illegal immigration - leads to a generalized social acceptance of racist and xenophobic rhetoric and its system of values. 11. This political normalization of racism leads to the non-recognition of the general trend towards multiculturalism in most societies and increased discrimination. This fuels and promotes hatred towards non-nationals, in particular, ethnic and religious minorities, immigrants and asylum-seekers. Gradually, the legal system, public order, education, employment and social welfare become impregnated with racist and xenophobic ideology. 12. Three main consequences of the fact that the ideology of racism and xenophobia is becoming politically mainstream are alarming. In the first place, given the electoral effectiveness of racist and xenophobic platforms, the initial promoters of these ideologies - the extreme-right parties, partners of political alliances in Governments with democratic parties - are now, in many countries, at the centre of legal power. They are in strategic positions in the departments of justice, security and immigration to implement their political agenda. Secondly, an increasing number of national policies and programmes regarding security, immigration, asylum and nationality are marked by the criminalization and curtailment of immigrants and asylum-seekers, and by racist and xenophobic connotations and overtones. Thirdly, the increasing activism of extremist and neo-Nazi groups, favoured by the political use of racism and its intellectual legitimation constitutes another major determining factor in the incitement to racial and religious hatred. This also opens the door for these groups to act not only through political means, but also through the use of racist and xenophobic violence, as has been particularly illustrated by recent cases in Belgium and in the Russian Federation. These groups proceed with a selective interpretation of human rights and legitimate their acts on the basis of freedom of expression. The fact that this violence is targeting not only discriminated communities - Blacks, Arabs, Jews, Asians and increasingly Muslims - but also human rights defenders, confirms that the rise of racism is a major threat to democracy. Intellectual legitimation of racism and xenophobia 13. The political and social normalization of racism and xenophobia need to be understood in a context of growing intellectual legitimation of these phenomena. In fact, the most profound