A/HRC/7/10/Add.4 page 10 requirements (E/CN.4/2005/61, paras. 56-58). 8 Furthermore, requiring high minimum membership levels or a lengthy existence in the country concerned are not appropriate criteria for registration. 2. Promoting religious tolerance 25. Regrettably, Angola is also affected by a dominant global trend of associating Muslims with international terrorism. A number of private media reports have linked Muslims in Angola to issues of national security and international terrorism. A headline from the newspaper A Capital dated 28 July 2007 reads “False preaching and illegal immigration in cahoots against national security”. Through various reports in the same weekly, the assumed danger against national security is linked to illegal diamond traffic, to protestant sects and to the Muslim community. Hints have at other occasions been made about the potential terrorist threat represented by the latter. It is in this context that certain observers are concerned about a possible wave of xenophobia in the country. An article in Semanario Angolense dated 24 September to 1 October 2005 is headlined: “How the slow penetration of Islam can be an entry point for terrorism”. 26. In addition, high ranking Government officials have reportedly stigmatized followers of Islam in the private press. The former National Director for Religious Affairs is reported to have referred to the growth of churches and sects in the country as a sickness and that “one form of this sickness is Islam” (A Capital, 29 January 2005 to 5 February 2005, p.11). The President of the National Assembly told the Special Rapporteur that most of the illegal migrants in the country are Muslims, many of whom are involved in counterfeiting and money laundering. The Vice-Minister of Interior indicated that the Muslim community is not controlled in the country and that Muslims prefer to indulge in violations of the law to camouflage their identity. The Special Rapporteur was provided with no evidence of the above. 8 Whilst welcoming UNICEF’s excellent report “Impact of Accusations of Witchcraft against Children in Angola: Analysis from the human rights perspective” and UNICEF’s work with children accused of witchcraft, the Special Rapporteur notes that one recommendation in that report appears to be inconsistent with international standards. Page 29 of the above report provides that “[s]ome of the practices offered by the pleiad of new churches and sects make it necessary to confront their activity with the norms which regulate the activity of religious groups and with the principles that should be respected as the basis for their legalization and functioning. Disrespect for these principles and rules, which is happening in the case of children being accused of witchcraft, should immediately give rise to a combined operation by the legal authorities and the police, as well as the Ministries of Justice and Culture”. The report continues that the Government should therefore “readjust its procedures for the registration and legalization of new churches”. This text appears to be inconsistent with international standards pertaining to registration of religious associations as outlined in the relevant sections of the present report, see above paras. 16-23 and below paras. 46-48.