A/HRC/34/56 I. Introduction 1. Rising tides of fundamentalism and extremism, in diverse forms, today represent major threats to human rights worldwide and are growing challenges that must be faced with urgency, using a human rights approach. In the present report, 1 the Special Rapporteur maps how such threats gravely undermine the enjoyment of cultural rights and stresses the centrality of cultural rights in combating them. It employs the term “fundamentalism” for actors using a putatively religious discourse and “extremism” for movements with other bases. Methodologically, it highlights analysis of experts and civil society actors who have confronted these problems for decades to ensure their words are heard in the United Nations. A follow up report to the General Assembly will provide further detail. 2. We face a worldwide struggle to defend intellectual freedom and the rationality on which it is based. Moreover, at the heart of the fundamentalist and extremist paradigms are rejections of equality and universality of human rights, making unwavering defence of those principles the touchstone of the human rights response. 3. There are common themes across fundamentalist and extremist abuses of cultural rights. Such abuses often involve attempts at cultural engineering aimed at redesigning culture based on monolithic world views, focused on “purity” and enmity toward “the other”, policing “honour” and “modesty”, claiming cultural and moral superiority, imposing a claimed “true religion” or “authentic culture” along with dress and behaviour codes often alien to the lived cultures of local populations, stifling freedom of artistic expression and curtailing scientific freedom. They also aim to limit the enjoyment of women’s human rights and restrict the sexual and reproductive rights of all. Fundamentalist and extremist groups often seek to quash the expression of cultural opposition to their own agenda. Diverse religious fundamentalists have sought to punish cultural expression antithetical to their interpretations of religion through blasphemy laws, gender discriminatory family laws, campaigns of harassment, education that does not conform to human rights standards, human rights abuses and outright violence. Extremists often harass and target members of minority groups and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as they seek to enjoy their equal cultural rights (see A/HRC/29/23 and A/HRC/19/41). A. Defining and understanding fundamentalism and extremism 4. Fundamentalisms are: “political movements of the extreme right, which in a context of globalization … manipulate religion, culture or ethnicity, in order to achieve their political aims”.2 They usually articulate public governance projects, in keeping with their theocratic visions, and impose their interpretation of religious doctrine on others as law or public policy, so as to consolidate social, economic and political power in a hegemonic and coercive manner.3 The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly 1 2 3 Country situations mentioned herein include cases that have been the subject of previous consideration by United Nations mechanisms and officials, reports from States, multilateral institutions and civil society organizations. The present report also draws from, “‘Unless someone Hears Us …’: a memorandum on fundamentalist and extremist violence against women: a grave threat to women’s human rights around the world” (University of California, Davis School of Law UN Team). Marieme Hélie-Lucas, “What is your tribe? Women’s struggles and the construction of muslimness”, in “Dossier 23-24”, Harsh Kapoor, ed. (London, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, 2001), pp. 49 and 51. Jessica Horn, “Christian fundamentalisms and women’s rights in the African context: mapping the 3