E/CN.4/1992/52 page 162 119. From the specific incidents of religious intolerance which have been brought to his attention, the Special Rapporteur has observed that minority religious groups are often not able to practise their religion freely in many countries. This is principally the case in countries which have one official religion. Members of religious minorities, especially those belonging to sects, may be subjected to persecution if they openly state that they belong to a particular faith. The mere expression of religious beliefs by a minority can also entail persecution in a number of countries. Even in countries where the Constitution recognizes and provides guarantees for a number of religions, the freedom to practise them may not always be equal. 120. In some countries where one Christian denomination is predominant, members of other Christian denominations have encountered difficulties in carrying out their religious activities. Interconfessional violence reportedly based on religious hatred and a reciprocal lack of understanding between two Christian denominations has resulted in a prolonged situation of conflict in Northern Ireland. 121. Even in countries which do not have an official religion, members of the minority faith have faced administrative difficulties with regard to the practice of their faith. This is reportedly the case in Egypt where Christians have had difficulties in obtaining authorization to build new churches and repair old ones. Members of the minority Jewish community in the Syrian Arab Republic have allegedly encountered problems with regard to obtaining the permission to emigrate. As already mentioned, the minority Ahmadi religious community, which considers itself to be Muslim, has reportedly been prosecuted in Pakistan because the majority of the population does not perceive it as such. 122. Proselytism is an issue which frequently arises in connection with the right of religious minorities to practise their faith. Nevertheless, it is explicitly mentioned by very few countries in their replies to the questionnaire. In an earlier response to the Special Rapporteur concerning specific issues, the Government of Greece stated that "proselytism (is prohibited) with regard to all religions including, it needs to be stressed, proselytism on the part of the Greek Orthodox Church. Within the Greek setting, proselytism has been defined as being adverse to freedom of opinion, as intruding into one's privacy ... and, perhaps, above all, as prejudicial to one's freedom of choice and personal development." 123. The Government of Malaysia informed the Special Rapporteur that "a number of laws (the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions enactment) have been implemented in the constituent States of Kelantan, Trengganu, Malakka and Selangor and that these laws ... are aimed at curbing the propagation of non-Islamic doctrines among Muslims". In a subsequent communication, the Government specified that "the scope of each of the enactments is limited by its substance, as can be seen by its declared objective, [which is] only to 'control and restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religious doctrines and beliefs among persons professing the religion of Islam'".