E/CN.4/2003/66 page 25 stigmatization of Muslims now occurring in many countries must cease. In other words, the vicious circle condemning the other to sacrifice on the altar of the defence of civilization must be broken. 141. In that regard, the Special Rapporteur recalls that education and interreligious dialogue are vital pillars of the strategy to prevent, in the medium and long term, the violations now occurring as a result of religious extremism; the policies, legislation and practices that target religious minorities; and the pseudo-religious discrimination directed against women. 142. As to the use of education to promote the protection of and respect for freedom of religion or belief in order to strengthen peace, understanding and tolerance among individuals, the essential components should be school curricula and textbooks on education for tolerance, in particular religious tolerance, and for non-discrimination on racial grounds, in subjects such as history and other sensitive areas where teaching can shape students’ perception of cultures and civilizations other than their own. It is also important to review teaching methods and improve teacher training. 143. In these particularly difficult times, the Special Rapporteur believes that far greater attention should be paid to educating children in tolerance and invites the international community, States and all interested parties to consider ways and means of using schools to reinforce the prevention of intolerance and discrimination on the basis of religion or conviction. For his part, the Special Rapporteur will spare no effort to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations contained in the final document adopted by the Madrid Conference. History has shown that there can be no peace among nations without peace among religions and, on a planetary scale, the dialogue among cultures and civilizations cannot exclude the interreligious dialogue. 144. Interactive participation and renewed effort on the part of the main religious actors will also be required in order to understand the kinds of “otherness” that mankind so badly needs and to bear further witness to the vital role of the interreligious dialogue as a factor in preventing conflict. 145. Muslim religious leaders, for their part, also have an important role to play in providing information on the nature of Islam, since Islamophobia thrives on others’ lack of knowledge. Greater exposure of the Muslim authorities to the public at large will rob the Islam-terrorism equation of its potential for harm. 146. The Special Rapporteur believes that he must not only continue with his investigations into infringements of freedom of religion or belief, his appeals to Governments and his reports on the situation to the international community, but also step up his efforts to find solutions that will make it possible to deal with both the manifestations of intolerance and discrimination and their true causes. 147. In order to gain an understanding of the specificities and similarities of these complex and sensitive issues and to obtain a global overview of intolerance and