A/65/207 H. Religious places, sites, shrines and symbols 30. The Special Rapporteur has noted that believers are in a situation of special vulnerability when they worship or assemble at religious sites. The General Assembly, in its resolution 55/254, called upon all States to exert their utmost efforts to ensure that religious sites are fully respected and protected in conformity with international standards and in accordance with their national legislation and to adopt adequate measures aimed at preventing such acts or threats of violence. 31. In May 2010, for example, gunmen armed with grenades attacked two mosques of the Ahmadiyyah community, killing at least 70 members and holding hundreds of worshippers hostage. 24 Members of this religious minority have faced continuous threats, discrimination and violent attacks. The Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that States must take every step to ensure the security of members of all religious minorities and their places of worship. Furthermore, to prevent the recurrence of similar violence, any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence must be adequately addressed. 32. During and after an armed conflict in a different region, more than 100 churches, monasteries and mosques were damaged or destroyed. 25 In addition, graveyards were destroyed and many of the tombs were desecrated by scattering around the bones found in them. The Special Rapporteur would like to refer to General Assembly resolution 55/254, in which the Assembly encouraged all States, relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the media to promote a culture of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religions and for religious sites, which represent an important aspect of the collective heritage of humankind. 33. In addition, in specific contexts the preservation and protection of religious sites and access of believers to places of worship may pose major challenges. For example, while legal provisions exist in one State to safeguard and preserve sacred places from desecration, the Government has only issued implementing regulations for holy sites of the State religion. The Special Rapporteur, however, emphasized that there is an urgent need to preserve and protect also the minorities’ religious sites, many of which have been made inaccessible or neglected for decades. She recommended that all parties bind themselves legally to protect the rights of religious minorities, paying particular attention to include comprehensive guarantees for equality and non-discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, as well as for the preservation of and peaceful access to all religious sites. 26 34. The Special Rapporteur also follows closely the discussions in a number of countries on banning the wearing of specific religious dress and garments. Recently, most related domestic laws or bills were focusing on restrictions with regard to the display in public places of the full head-to-toe Islamic veil. She notes that this __________________ 24 25 26 10-47047 See the press release issued on 28 May 2010 by the Special Rapporteur, the independent expert on minority issues and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, “UN experts strongly condemn attacks against Ahmadis in Pakistan”. See the Special Rapporteur’s report on her mission to the Republic of Serbia, including visit to Kosovo (A/HRC/13/40/Add.3, paras. 51-58). See the Special Rapporteur’s report on her mission to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (A/HRC/10/8/Add.2, paras. 25-39 and 76-77). 11