A/54/386 that in almost every case, they continue to exist and to grow with the tacit but known support of Governments, including foreign Governments. to non-Jewish groups in Jerusalem and the Chinese Government’s policy in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China); 131. Lastly, religious extremism should be viewed in the larger context of the economic, social and political conditions that foster it. At the national and international levels, unjust economic, social and political systems which really constitute violations of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights contribute to the birth and/or nurturing of extremism. (d) States which have an official religion or where most of the population belong to the same religion tend to implement discriminatory policies and measures (such as restrictions on religious activities and the manifestations thereof) against religious minorities, including Muslims in many Western, and some African, countries and nonMuslims in several Asian and African countries; B. Policies adversely affecting freedom of religion and belief 132. The Special Rapporteur notes the persistence of such policies and considers that the following developments at the national level need to be recognized: (a) State policies against religion and policies designed to control religious matters in the name of a political ideology have continued to decline since the end of the cold war; although they do persist in some countries (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Viet Nam), but in more subtle forms. Officially and publicly, at least, it is no longer a question of eliminating religions originally perceived as superstitions or as “the opium of the people”, but rather of recognizing them and permitting their practice, but under the strict control of the authorities. In the circumstances, this constitutes interference with religion that is incompatible with international law. In most cases, such interference takes the form of compelling the clergy and believers to limit their activities to officially-recognized, State-controlled religious groups, places of worship and religious institutions. These policies include, on the one hand, those of States (such as China and Viet Nam) where the limited opportunity for freedom of religion, although it should be expanded in accordance with international law, nevertheless constitutes progress; and, on the other, that of a State (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) which uses a semblance of religion for propaganda purposes abroad; (b) Authoritarian regimes continue to implement policies of intolerance and discrimination against communities perceived as “the enemy”, as “a threat” or as inconsistent with the Government’s programme; (c) Conflicts of a primarily political nature continue to result in policies and practices of intolerance and discrimination against certain ethnic and religious groups (i.e. the Israeli Government’s policy with respect (e) A growing problem common to almost all States is that the policies and measures implemented with respect to sects or new religious movements often involve numerous human rights violations, including refusal to recognize them as religious communities; refusal to allow them to register; barring the members from places of worship; failure to recognize certain of their tenets, such as conscientious objection; and, in some cases, even arrest, detention and other punishments. Many of the communications received by the Special Rapporteur involve the countries of Eastern Europe, where large numbers of such groups have emerged since the end of the cold war and are in direct competition with the so-called “traditional” religions which hope to resume the role that they played prior to the establishment of the socialist bloc, not only in society but also in the Government. However, this is also a problem in Western Europe, where several parliamentary commissions of enquiry have been established. On the other continents, Governments sometimes react with extreme severity. For example, in Pakistan, the Ahmadis claim to be Muslims but are considered a sect by the authorities, which categorically reject this claim and punish them severely, whereas in China, members of the Falun Gong have been arrested. C. Discrimination attributed to religion and affecting women 133. In the context of the communications transmitted by the Special Rapporteur, such discrimination relates to legislation, civil status texts and their interpretation, tradition, intolerance often through ignorance on the part of society, and so-called religious extremism. 134. As regards legislation, most of the discrimination derives from the requirement that women receive the authorization of men to obtain a passport and to travel abroad (Gabon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen). In Saudi Arabia, such freedom of movement appears to be restricted, 21