A/58/296 137. Second, terrorist acts together with security measures taken by States have strengthened many people’s isolationism, which focuses on religion and promotes distrust, intolerance and even rejection of others and is expressed through religion-based discrimination at all levels. Advocacy of or incitement to hatred in violation of article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and acts of violence against members of religious minorities have also become increasingly common. In this regard, it should be noted that many States have not met their human rights obligations. These are not limited to the negative obligation to refrain from violating the right to freedom of religion or belief; they also include the positive obligation to protect persons in their territory from violations of their right to freedom of religion or belief committed by non-State actors or entities by prosecuting those who commit such violations and providing compensation to the victims. 138. Stressing that women and children are still too often the victims of acts of discrimination and religious violence, the Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned at the sometimes negative role played by the press in the spread of religious intolerance. The media continue to promote an often incorrect, negative image of certain religious groups and have sometimes incited hatred of many such groups, including Muslims. 139. Generally speaking, the Special Rapporteur notes that in many cases, rather than protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief, States have used the pretext of security in response to terrorist threats to limit the exercise of that right. Security of person, which is a fundamental principle inherent in human rights, has come to be identified with State security; while understandable in some cases, this shift is nonetheless harmful to the protection of human rights in general and of the right to freedom of religion or belief in particular. 140. Looking to the future, this general trend has also highlighted the fact that States have focused on restricting civil and political rights at the expense of economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to education, which is essential for teaching a culture of tolerance and non-discrimination and is part of an overall prevention policy. On this matter, the Special Rapporteur wishes to draw attention to the conclusions and recommendations contained in his 1995 report to the General Assembly, in which he stressed that all human rights are interdependent with democracy and development and, in connection with the development of a culture of tolerance, “the importance of prevention in the effort to end intolerance and discrimination, hatred and violence, including violence motivated by religious extremism. The alarming number of attacks on persons ... shows the overwhelming need to act at the prevention level” (A/50/440, para. 83). This need is made all the more pressing by the fact that States’ counter-terrorism measures have not addressed the real causes of the problem. 141. In conclusion, the Special Rapporteur hopes that, in facing their genuine security problems, States will fully respect their fundamental obligations in the area of civil and political rights and will take the opportunity to focus on the promotion of rights which make it possible to adopt an essentially preventive approach, attacking the root causes of extremism and intolerance rather than in their overt manifestations. Once again, action in the area of education and 23