A/HRC/22/51/Add.1 subsequently undertake the restoration of the monument according to the study prepared by the University of Patras. 37. As a result of the Cyprus conflict, much attention is focused on the situation of Christian communities living in the northern part and – albeit to a much lesser degree – the situation of members of Muslim minorities residing in the southern part. The Special Rapporteur sensed a tangible difference between the narratives he heard from those people themselves, including serious concerns and worries which they voiced, and the political language typically used in the capital to describe their situation. 38. For all the existing frustration about the protracted conflict in Cyprus and many unsettled issues, the vast majority of the interlocutors nonetheless agreed that the political situation has improved in recent years. Improvements chiefly originate from the opening of a number of crossing points since April 2003, which allows people – albeit not all– to move about more or less freely and have access to religious sites, including churches, mosques and cemeteries, previously inaccessible to them. In particular members of religious minorities who had lived in a situation of isolation for more than a generation can now remain in contact with family members, friends and other community members from whom they had been separated for decades. The opening of the crossing points thus clearly has beneficial effects on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. B. Religion as part of identity politics 39. Given the close connection between religion and ethnicity, religion has become an important part of identity politics in Cyprus. From the perspective of freedom of religion or belief, identity politics typically harbours two risks: on the one hand, the risk of prioritizing collective manifestations of religious identity over more personal religious or belief-related convictions, with possible negative repercussions on the freedom of the individual; and on the other hand, the risk of marginalizing those religions and beliefs that do not fit into the official portrayal of the nation’s identity. 40. For all the strong emphasis placed on collective religious identities in Cyprus, the Special Rapporteur has not found evidence that this negatively affects the individual enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief. People can live freely in accordance with their convictions and without undue interference from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Interreligious marriages, albeit not a widespread phenomenon, are possible and do exist – not least owing to the secular marriage and family law accessible to all people irrespective of their religious backgrounds. One significant possible exception that requires closer scrutiny is the situation in schools in which religious instruction is not always effectively connected with the possibility of opting out, a situation which may lead to undue infringements of the individual exercise of freedom of religion or belief (see D. below). The situation in the northern part is similar in that people are generally free to live in accordance with their own convictions. However, members of different religious minorities (Christian and others) have reported incidents of “police” presence in their meetings, which can have intimidating effects. A topic that has triggered some debate in the northern part concerns the status of religious instruction in schools (see D. below). Another problem that affects the entire island concerns the limited, even denied, accessibility of cemeteries, religious sites and places of worship. 41. The understanding of the Cypriot national identity obviously accommodates diversity, including religious diversity. However, those religious communities that do not fit into the historic mosaic clearly receive less public attention. As a consequence, they receive less funding and do not enjoy the same privileges as those officially recognized. The Special Rapporteur also heard about difficulties that they encounter when trying to purchase real estate which they may need to establish places of worship or cemeteries. 10