A/71/317 beliefs; or deliberately targeting or terrorizing individuals and groups on the basis of their cultural, ethnic or religious affiliation, or their ways of life and beliefs. These acts may be of different magnitudes, may be carried out systematically or sporadically, and may be part of a wider scheme to forcibly assimilate or deliberately kill a group of people. 34. The Special Rapporteur and her predecessor have been informed of the intentional destruction of cultural heritage sites, objects and monuments on which people rely to maintain, express and develop a diversity of beliefs and cultural practices, or to memorialize past events. Such destruction undermines numerous human rights, including the right to freedom from discrimination; the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; and the right to take part in cultural life, including the right to maintain and develop the cultural practices of one ’s choice, and to access cultural heritage including one ’s own history, and the right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity. 35. These acts of intentional destruction harm all, target freethinkers in majority groups and often disproportionately affect persons belonging to minorities. Aiming at homogenization of world views, they contribute to intolerance and tensions between people, and deprive all humanity of the rich diversity of heritage t hat should be transmitted to future generations. In some cases, cultural heritage sites that are testimonies to the friendship and interactions between various groups are particularly targeted. 19 In other cases, sites may be destroyed as part of a policy of removing from public space, symbols of past events, and of preventing the expression of narratives deviating from official discourses regarding such events. 20 36. There are many examples where destruction is part of the “cultural engineering” practised by diverse extremists who, rather than preserve tradition, seek to radically transform it, erasing whatever does not accord with their vision. They seek to end traditions and erase memory, in order to create new historical narratives affording no alternative vision. 37. Well-known examples include cases raised by the predecessor of the Special Rapporteur and other human rights mechanisms, such as the destruction of Sufi religious and historic sites and desecration of graves in Libya in 2011 and 2012 (LYB 2/2012), 21 the destruction of cultural and religious sites, artefacts and manuscripts during the occupation of northern Mali in 2012 and early 2013, accompanied by a ban on music and restrictions on women’s dress, with the deliberate and asserted intention to impose a world view (MLI 1/2012) 22 and the past and ongoing destruction of temples, monasteries, shrines and millenniums -old sites such as at Palmyra in the Syrian Arab Republic (see A/HRC/31/68, paras. 85-93). The Human Rights Council has also addressed the “systematic destruction” of the cultural heritage of the Palestinian people by Israel. 23 38. The Special Rapporteur and her predecessor have also expressed concern regarding violations of the rights of Shia citizens in Bahrain, ranging from __________________ 19 20 21 22 23 16-13742 See, e.g., the submissions of Emma Loosley and Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA). See joint allegation letter of 11 July 2014 on case No. BHR 9/2014, regarding the de struction of the Pearl Roundabout in Bahrain. The Special Rapporteur expresses her thanks to the State for its response ( A/HRC/22/67). See also A/HRC/22/33, paras. 44-45; and A/HRC/25/72, para. 88. In its resolution 16/29 of 25 March 2011, in particular. 11/24