A/HRC/25/58 (c) Narrow identity politics 27. Governments may also instrumentalize religion as a means of shaping and reinforcing narrow concepts of national identity, tapping into feelings of religious belonging for the purposes of strengthening political loyalty. No religion or belief is per se immune from being utilized in such a way. Moreover, such instrumentalization of religion can occur in many different political or constitutional settings. Not only in countries that profess an official State religion but also in many formally secular States, religion has been harnessed to promote national unity and societal homogeneity through the invocation of one predominant cultural and/or religious legacy to which all citizens are supposed to relate in a positive manner. However, utilizing religion for the purposes of fostering national identity politics harbours serious risks of increased discrimination against members of religious minorities, as well as hostility towards those perceived as not belonging to the mainstream national-religious identity. Besides being viewed as religiously different, members of minorities, or individuals with dissenting religious views, may thus additionally be suspected of undermining national unity and endangering the future development of the nation. This can increase the likelihood of manifestations of collective religious hatred occurring in which national and religious hatred blend into one another. Typical target groups are members of immigrant religious communities or new religious movements who are often stigmatized as not fitting into the prevailing religious and national makeup of the country or even characterized as potential traitors. But members of long-standing religious minorities in a country, many of which simultaneously constitute ethnic minorities, can similarly be subject to stigmatization and accused of threatening national unity. 3. Counter tendencies from within religions and beliefs: religious and belief communities as positive factors of societal resilience 28. The three above-mentioned aggravating political factors — endemic corruption, an authoritarian atmosphere and the harnessing of religion for narrow identity politics — serve as salient examples. While not constituting an exhaustive list of negative factors, they can mutually reinforce one another, thus possibly further speeding up the vicious cycle of mistrust, narrow-mindedness, hysteria, scapegoating and rumours that arouse contempt against certain religious or belief groups. 29. However, the Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that this vicious circle does not have the status of a natural law. It should never be treated as something that is unavoidable. Although he experiences many negative examples of religious hatred in his daily work, the Special Rapporteur also regularly meets with people from different religious or belief-related backgrounds — religious leaders as well as ordinary community members — who successfully and actively work to overcome these destructive tendencies. Indeed, many people understand their religion or belief as a source of broad-mindedness rather than narrow-mindedness, and of open-heartedness and compassion rather than fear and contempt. The Special Rapporteur has witnessed numerous positive examples, such as during his country visit to Sierra Leone in July 2013, where he was impressed by how amicably religious communities — Muslims, Christians and others — work together and cooperate on a daily basis in rebuilding the country after a recent history of civil war. This is possible since religious community leaders had successfully managed to keep religion out of the dynamics of fragmentation and escalation of violence (see A/HRC/25/58/Add.1). Likewise, during his country visit to Jordan in September 2013, the Special Rapporteur witnessed much good will and commitment to preserve the positive climate of interreligious harmony within an increasingly difficult regional environment (see A/HRC/25/58/Add.2). 8