E/CN.4/1996/95 page 7 recourse to reminder letters, frequent diplomatic consultations and field visits. States are therefore strongly encouraged to cooperate with this effort. 34. Christianity is the religion most often referred to in the communications (over 16 per cent), doubtless because it is more highly organized and because there is a greater awareness, on the part of the different Christian communities in the various regions concerned, with regard to the protection and promotion of human rights, especially religious rights. 35. The category "Other religions and religious groups" (Ahmadis, Baha’is, Pentecostalists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, spiritualist religions, Hare Krishna, Scientology and the "Family of love") comes second as far as violations (more than 10 per cent) are concerned. This category includes a number of highly diverse and numerically small religious groups. In other words, these are cases where minorities are suffering from religious intolerance. 36. Islam is the third largest religion cited as being discriminated against. It accounts for over 9 per cent, close to the minority group category (over 10 per cent). The remaining religions, in decreasing order, are: Buddhism (over 3 per cent), Judaism (over 1 per cent) and Hinduism (less than 1 per cent). VI. STATUS OF COMMUNICATIONS SINCE THE FIFTY-FIRST SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 37. This report on the status of communications and replies concerns communications sent since the fifty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights, the replies or absence of replies from the States concerned, together with late replies. On account of severe budgetary constraints, the Special Rapporteur has been unable to publish these communications and the replies from States, contrary to the practice followed since the establishment of the mandate. This is highly detrimental to the paramount importance of information and its pedagogical function ultimately constitutes a form of censorship of information and greatly affects the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. Accordingly, the Special Rapporteur has analysed the information and has made copies of the communications and the replies available to all, at the Centre for Human Rights. 38. Since the fifty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur has sent communications to 46 States: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (5), Cuba (2), Cyprus, Egypt (2), Eritrea, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Sudan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen. 39. As to urgent appeals, Egypt was sent such an appeal concerning Professor Nasr Abu Zeid, of Cairo University, who was tried on 13 June 1995 by a court for his writings on the interpretation of the Koran, which were deemed