A/65/207 40. The Special Rapporteur has also reported about the situation of members of groups that are labelled by some domestic authorities as “cults” or “sects”. 35 In this regard, she would like to reiterate her predecessor’s assessment that, apart from the legal courses available against harmful activities, “it is not the business of the State or any other group or community to act as the guardian of people’s consciences and encourage, impose or censure any religious belief or conviction”. 36 The terms “belief” and “religion” are to be broadly construed. Thus public officials and civil servants should be informed that freedom of religion or belief is not limited to traditional religions or to beliefs with institutional characteristics or practices analogous to those of traditional religions. K. Combating hatred, discrimination, intolerance and acts of violence, intimidation, coercion and incitement to hostility and violence 41. In resolution 64/164, the General Assembly urged States to take all necessary and appropriate action, in conformity with international human rights standards, to combat hatred, discrimination, intolerance and acts of violence, intimidation and coercion motivated by intolerance based on religion or belief, as well as incitement to hostility and violence, with particular regard to members of religious minorities in all parts of the world. The Special Rapporteur has addressed related issues and presented her conclusions and recommendations in various reports. In a mission report, for example, she voiced concerns at the extended time frame of investigations in cases involving communal riots, violence and massacres. 37 She would like to reiterate that communal violence is not merely a “law and order” problem but has serious socio-economic ramifications. It has been noted that sectarian riots are most likely to occur when the following elements are present: (a) severe long-standing antagonism on religious lines in particular villages and urban localities; (b) an emotional response of members of religious communities to a precipitating event; (c) a feeling in the minds of rioters and the larger religious group to which they belong that sectarian violence is justifiable; and (d) the assessment by the rioters that the reaction from the police to sectarian violence will be either absent or partisan or ineffective. 42. Pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 1/107, entitled “Incitement to racial and religious hatred and the promotion of tolerance”, the Special Rapporteur submitted a report to the Council together with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (A/HRC/2/3), in which the Special Rapporteurs recommended that the Council call upon all Governments to express and demonstrate a firm political will and commitment to combating the rise of racial and religious intolerance. The right to freedom of religion or belief as such does not include the right for one’s religion or belief to be free from criticism or all adverse comment. Yet, the right to freedom of expression can legitimately be restricted for advocacy that incites to acts of __________________ 35 36 37 14 See for example the Special Rapporteur’s observations on the responses of the Government of China (A/HRC/10/8/Add.1, paras. 16-22) and of the Islamic Republic of Iran (A/HRC/10/8/ Add.1, paras. 81-85). E/CN.4/1997/91, para. 99. See the Special Rapporteur’s report on her mission to India (A/HRC/10/8/Add.3, paras. 30-41). 10-47047