A/HRC/22/51/Add.1 comprise not only Turkish Cypriots but also migrants mainly from Arab and South-Asian backgrounds. The Special Rapporteur visited a number of mosques in which people from different linguistic backgrounds were gathering. 54. The main concern expressed in discussions with members of Muslim minorities in the southern part relates to a lack of professional religious education of their youth. Thus people have to organize religious instruction themselves in the mosque or in private homes – something that many deplore. They also complained about the destruction of more than 30 mosques and inadequate funding for the maintenance of mosques and cemeteries, although the Government of the Republic of Cyprus indicated that the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service spent EUR 504,331 in 2011 on the restoration and maintenance of Muslim places of worship in the southern part. However the Special Rapporteur saw one of the Islamic cemeteries which lacked the minimum infrastructure – for instance, running water for washing dead bodies – required for conducting dignified burials in accordance with religious rituals and strictures. Accessibility is also a problem in some mosques, which are open only on Fridays. The community reportedly has no access to these mosques on other days even if they wish to worship or carry out some repair work themselves. There were reports of a kiosk set up next to the mosque selling alcohol and incidents of drunken people breaking the mosque windows. Furthermore, the current opening hours of the Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca, which is classified as a monument, restrict the accessibility of this mosque for worshippers, including the Imam, and prevent Muslims from regularly praying five times a day at this religious site. 55. The Special Rapporteur was also told that not all Muslims living in the northern part are able to visit the Hala Sultan Tekke or other mosques in the southern part. Settlers from mainland Turkey and their descendants, who constitute the majority population in the northern part, cannot cross the checkpoints, because the Government of the Republic of Cyprus regards this as an issue of “illegal colonization” with “negative repercussions on the efforts for finding a viable solution to the Cyprus problem”. Pilgrimages from the northern part to the Hala Sultan Tekke have thus been stopped, with the result that those who have not entered the Republic of Cyprus from the “legal points of entry” are prevented from crossing the checkpoints if they wish to visit Hala Sultan Tekke and other religious sites. 56. The Special Rapporteur discussed the situation of Muslim minorities with representatives of various Government institutions, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior and institutions in charge of preserving the cultural heritage of the country. He heard about new programmes of religious education for Muslim children which were in the process of gradual implementation. With regard to the question of travel restrictions which prevent some people from going on pilgrimages to Muslim places of worship in the southern part, the Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that freedom of religion or belief has the status of a universal human right whose enjoyment does not depend on any specific citizenship status. He also recommends further attempts to preserve and cherish the country’s cultural-religious heritage in such a way that believers can also use the places of worship for specific religious purposes, such as prayers and services. 57. Shortly after the conclusion of the mission, the Special Rapporteur received information regarding an arson attack on the Köprülü Mosque in Limassol on 14 April 2012. The Evkaf administration inspected the premises and found that the front door, window and roof of the gallery had been completely destroyed by the fire; the marble inscription on the mosque entrance door was also missing. Reportedly, there had been similar incidents earlier and the perpetrators were unknown. However, according to the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the Department of Antiquities had assessed that the damage was not of archaeological significance, indicating that the works for their repair had already begun. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus strongly condemned the 14