A/HRC/20/26/Add.1 66. The Jenische, a nomadic community mostly residing in south-west Germany, Switzerland, Austria and parts of France, are also not recognized as a national minority despite having lived in Austria for a long period. Information about their total population number is unknown. Throughout her mission, the Independent Expert found it very difficult to collect information about their presence in the country, with some official authorities being unaware of their existence. Due to the lack of information, the Independent Expert cannot draw conclusions on their status and situation in the country. She would like, nonetheless, to urge the relevant authorities to undertake studies to determine the number and situation of the Jenische community living in Austria, and to adopt necessary measures to ensure that their human rights, including the right to enjoy their own culture, to access that of others and to participate in and contribute to the cultural life of Austria are adequately secured. C. The right to profess and practise one's own religion 67. Thirteen religious communities are legally recognized in Austria: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah‟s Witnesses, Old Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Buddhist, New Apostolic, and Methodist. 57 The largest religious community is that of Roman Catholics, followed by Lutherans and Muslims. The Austrian legal framework guarantees freedom of religion and belief, as well as the right of religious communities to receive religious instruction in public schools and for their institutions to act as public entities. It is very difficult for unrecognized religious groups and communities to have their institutions recognized as public entities. 68. The Government of Austria supports and promotes interfaith dialogue. Interesting initiatives in this regard include: the establishment of a Task Force on Dialogue of Cultures in 2007; a network of Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians; the training of Imams;58 “Forum.islam”, a platform for dialogue with Muslims in Austria; and a number of conferences and workshops around religious and cultural dialogue involving religious leaders and persons seen to be potential “multipliers” of key messages. It should be noted that interfaith initiatives are mostly intended to promote dialogue among religious leaders. By and large these initiatives do not engage the religious communities represented by leaders. Such broader engagement, as some representatives of religious communities pointed out, may be the greater need. 69. The Independent Expert is concerned at numerous reports of discrimination against Muslims in Austria, such as attacks on Muslim cemeteries, insults to Muslim students in schools, refusal to hire Muslim women wearing headscarves, and the prohibition of the construction of mosques and minarets under the auspices of a ban on “unusual architecture”. A number of anti-Semitic incidents have also been reported.59 V. Promotion of cultural diversity 70. It is encouraging that the Austrian legal and institutional framework recognizes the value of cultural diversity. However, government policies do not always approach diversity as a resource for building an inclusive, pluralistic and open Austrian society. Cultural 57 58 59 16 http://www.bmukk.gv.at/ministerium/kultusamt/ges_anerk_krg.xml, numbers (census 2001): Statistik Austria. A/HRC/WG.6/10/AUT/1, para. 33. Schulze, Human Rights and Democracy Austria 2006, juridikum online working paper 01/07, pp. 25 and 26.