A/HRC/4/21/Add.2 page 8 29. This secularity can be observed in a number of aspects of Azerbaijani society and appears to be a value that has been strongly assimilated by Azerbaijani citizens. Moreover, despite the overwhelming majority of one single religion, the principle that no religion is given a pre-eminent status seems to be recognized by the majority and applied in practice. 30. The Constitution of Azerbaijan guarantees freedom of religion as well as the right to have no religion. According to its article 48: (1) Everyone enjoys the freedom of conscience. (2) Everyone has the right to define his/her attitude to religion, to profess, individually or together with others, any religion or to profess no religion, to express and spread one’s beliefs concerning religion. (3) Everyone is free to carry out religious rituals, however this should not violate public order and contradict public morals. (4) Religious beliefs and convictions do not excuse infringements of the law. 31. The law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On freedom of faith” adopted in 1992 also ensures the right of any human being to determine and express his/her views on religion and to exercise this right. It constitutes the main legal framework dealing with questions related to the religion, such as the registration of religious associations, places of worship and property rights, or literature. 32. The State Committee for Work with Religious Associations (SCWRA) was created by a presidential decree of 21 June 2001. Its purpose is to ensure the necessary conditions for the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed by article 48 of the Constitution and to supervise all matters related to freedom of religion and registration of religious associations (article 2 of the Decree of 21 June 2001). 33. SCWRA constitutes, to many, the institutionalization of the control exercised by the Government on religious groups and communities of belief and its actions or inactions are often at the origin of the difficulties faced by certain religious communities. While many of these communities and their leaders seem to be satisfied with their relationship with SCWRA, it was sometimes reported that problems have arisen because of the personality of the local official responsible from SCRWA. 34. There were also reports of tension between SCWRA and CMB, which created tensions within the Muslim community. V. FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF IN AZERBAIJAN A. Overview 35. A number of religious leaders explained that respect for freedom of religion or belief dramatically improved after independence. Although the Government wants to promote this freedom, it also fears that extremist groups may take advantage of it, giving rise to intolerance