E/CN.4/1992/52 page 59 54. On 8 August 1991 the following reply to the above-mentioned accusations was transmitted to the Special Rapporteur from the Government of Iraq: "The competent Iraqi authorities have taken note of your letter dated 11 June 1991, addressed to Ambassador Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and its annexes, concerning the allegations that you have received in regard to the so-called 'situation of the Shia Muslim community1 in Iraq. The Iraqi authorities, while diligently studying the details of the incidents in question with a view to ascertaining and making known the true facts in a fully objective manner, wish to take this opportunity to express their appreciation for the concern that you have shown for this matter and for the opportunity that you have given to the competent Iraqi authorities to establish the facts and state their point of view. It is well known that Iraq is the cradle of human civilization which, over the centuries, has made a major contribution to the heritage of mankind as a whole. In view of the disasters and foreign occupations to which it has been subjected for several centuries, Iraq would obviously not have been able to make such a contribution but for the humanitarian values and principles which were formulated and developed in its territory and among its people. However, this is not surprising since Iraq is a peaceful country in which religious and moral concepts, principles and ideals have coexisted in a fraternal atmosphere that enabled them to flourish, develop and interact with the noble values of the civilizations of other peoples and nations. In the light of this historical fact and Iraq's time-honoured civilization, any person concerned with this matter will find it fairly easy to understand the real situation in regard to the social and religious composition of the Iraqi people, which is based on mutual understanding, brotherhood, interaction and endeavours to consolidate the humanitarian links between the various religions, communities and minorities that are coexisting in Iraq. This situation should constitute the basis for any dialogue concerning the matter raised in your letter. Accordingly, we wish to state the following: 1. The Iraqi Government, represented by its competent authorities, is diligently endeavouring to preserve and develop religious centres with a view to promoting religious teachings and the humanitarian values that they comprise. This is a self-evident and incontrovertible fact which cannot be disregarded and official policy in regard to all the various types of religious institutions cannot be influenced by extraneous events and recent developments. That policy is in conformity with article 19 of the Iraqi Constitution, which stipulates that "All citizens are equal before the law, without discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language, social origin or religion". Article 25 of the Constitution further stipulates that "Freedom of religion, belief and religious observance is guaranteed". 2. In the wake of the aggression by the coalition forces led by the United States of America, after the ceasefire some Iraqi towns fell prey to disturbances, consisting in acts of aggression against persons and official, religious, social and educational institutions, as well as places of worship.