A/HRC/9/7 page 18 65. As several of the national examples in the report show, the concept of freedom of religion and how it is interpreted and applied seems to be an important starting point in ensuring appropriate guarantees to the free exercise of religion. All the replies indicated that discrimination against religion and on the basis of religious belief is prohibited in all the countries. A consistent and strict application of the anti-discrimination laws would play an important role in addressing some of the concerns identified by the Council in resolution 7/19. 66. The incitement to hatred or violence against an individual or group because of religion is also prohibited in the countries that responded. Other countries also have specific laws that penalize the desecration, damage or destruction of places of worship, religious symbols and other objects related to religion. 67. Some countries have specific laws against the defamation of religion. Of the countries that reported on such laws, there does not appear to be a common understanding of what is considered defamation of religion. The reported laws address somewhat different phenomena and apply various terms such as contempt, ridicule, outrage and disrespect to connote defamation. The responses do not provide enough information for an analysis of how these terms are understood or applied. The relationship between these concepts to the international human rights framework related to freedom of religion is also not explicitly addressed. -----