A/59/366 Turkmenistan 75. On 16 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of Turkmenistan information according to which the new law on religion criminalizes unregistered religious activity and requires religious groups to “coordinate” contacts with foreigners with the Government and to get permission before receiving foreign support such as funding and religious literature. In this context, on 30 November 2003, the police reportedly raided a Baptist service in Balkanabad and took everyone present to a police station. The members of the congregation were accused of breaking the new law on religion by worshipping without State registration. 76. The Special Rapporteur also referred to the closing of a Sunni mosque by the State Security Ministry for not putting the Ruhnama (Book of the Soul), President Saparmurat Niyazov’s spiritual writings, on the same stand as the Koran during Friday prayers, which were filmed for TV. 77. Finally, the Special Rapporteur mentioned that, on 21 December 2003, members of the secret police allegedly raided a Shi’ah mosque in the city of Türkmenbashy (formerly Krasnovodsk) to break up a ceremony in memory of the former president of Azerbaijan, Heidar Aliev. It was reported that the Government had de facto banned Shia’h Islamic practice. 78. In a further communication dated 10 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur referred to allegations according to which in March and April 2004, the authorities had, amongst other things, fired a Jehovah’s Witness from his job, forced a Hindu to sign a statement renouncing his beliefs, raided religious meetings, confiscated the personal property of Baptists, and levied large fines against Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Police reportedly sexually harassed a female Jehovah’s Witness. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 79. On 26 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of the United Kingdom information stating that, on 18 March 2004, vandals had attacked about 40 Muslim graves at a cemetery in Charlton in an apparent hate crime. Headstones were reportedly smashed and pictures removed from graves. United States of America 80. On 28 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of the United States information according to which acts of religious intolerance against Muslims and their religion had continued to occur throughout the country. In particular, it was reported that the number of hate crimes coincided with a rise in Islamophobic rhetoric in the public discourse in the United States. The Special Rapporteur gave some illustrations of alleged incidents whereby public persons or media professionals had portrayed or criticized Islam in ways that could constitute incitement to religious hatred as prohibited by article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 81. By letter of 3 August 2004, the Government of the United States of America underlined the importance of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the principle of freedom of expression. It further noted that because article 20 of ICCPR was susceptible to expansive interpretation that could run contrary to the freedom of expression, the United States had made a reservation to the Covenant stating that “article 20 does not authorize or require legislation or other action by 16