A/HRC/7/10/Add.3 page 10 B. Overview of reported concerns 26. Almost all of the Special Rapporteur’s interlocutors agreed that there was a very satisfactory amount of freedom of religion or belief in the United Kingdom. Many of them stated that the situation of their respective communities was far better than in those countries where they had emigrated from. There were some common concerns among members of all religions or non-religious beliefs, while others were specific to a particular community of people. The interlocutors raised the following issues. 27. Members of various Christian denominations (Church of England, Church of Ireland, Church of Scotland, Methodist, Presbyterian, Protestant, Roman Catholic, etc.) reported discrimination and violence related to sectarianism, not only in Northern Ireland but also in the rest of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Christian Students’ Unions at several universities were reported to face pressures with regard to their adherence to university equal opportunities policies. In general, the Government’s Sexual Orientations Regulations were perceived by some Christians as hampering the work of Christian adoption agencies and establishing a hierarchy of rights with religion having a rather low priority. Another example of this trend was a court judgement which ruled that an employee’s freedom to manifest his religious beliefs was not infringed by his dismissal for refusal to agree to work on Sunday. On the other hand, the particular role and privileges of the Church of England were criticized by some Christians as no longer reflecting the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations. 28. The Special Rapporteur’s Muslim interlocutors criticized the application of counter-terrorism legislation and the adverse influence on the situation of British Muslims. They also emphasized that public statements by politicians may have an impact on the society since the discussion of draft bills, even when not adopted finally, affect the public debate and perception. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur’s interlocutors criticized the inflammatory tone of many media reports on issues regarding Muslims, especially with regard to the wearing of headscarves. The Special Rapporteur was also informed about a survey which showed that about 80 per cent of Muslim respondents have somehow experienced discrimination because they were Muslim, while in 1999 only 35 per cent of respondents reported such discrimination. Problem areas for Muslims appear to be employment, education, immigration policies and religious profiling as well as the provision of goods, services and facilities. Many Muslim interlocutors emphasized that since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 they felt extremely vulnerable, not only because of an adverse public opinion against them as a community but also because of counter-terrorism measures, which were mainly perceived to target so-called Islamic terrorism. 29. Hindu representatives reported their concerns that languages of other religions have been included in the British curriculum while the Hindu languages (Hindi and Sanskrit) had been ignored. Furthermore they complained that in contrast to other religious communities the Hindu religion was not represented in the House of Lords. In order to safeguard the minority religious and other rights they claim proportional representation by reservation of seats in Parliament for all minorities. 30. The Special Rapporteur spoke with Sikhs’ representatives who voiced their concerns about an increase in attacks on Sikhs and Sikh properties following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and 7 July 2005. Furthermore, wearing the turban and carrying a kirpan