A/HRC/6/6 page 8 and carry out their religious practices (e.g. dietary regimens, burials, etc). In this context, political parties with open anti-Islamic platforms have joined governmental coalitions in several countries and started to put in place their political agendas. In sum, Islamophobia is in the process of being impregnated in all facets of social life. 17. The rise of Islamophobia thus increases the likelihood of social disorder and has economic and juridical repercussions for those affected. In particular, one should note how Islamophobia can lead to a vicious cycle of further exclusion and ultimately extremism. Its persistence leads to a sense of cultural inferiority and social vulnerability among young Muslims, who are likely to become marginalized and more open to influence by groups which seem to offer them a reaffirmed identity and reason for pride. Normal regular religious practices and expressions of faith, which are more broadly held and essential for an effective intercultural dialogue, have more difficulty in finding expression in many societies and countries, leading to even further discrimination against them. 18. In this section, the Special Rapporteur builds on his previous attempts to conceptualize and explain the causes of Islamophobia, tackling its current expressions and putting forward possible solutions and recommendations. In particular, in the present report, he will focus on present expressions of Islamophobia, trying to focus on how they are related to broad social and intellectual processes of acceptance and legitimization of racism and discrimination. 1. Definition of Islamophobia 19. The Special Rapporteur has proposed the following definition of Islamophobia in his report on Defamation of Religions and Global Efforts to Combat Racism (E/CN.4/2005/18/Add.4, para. 13), submitted to the Commission on Human Rights in 2004: “[Islamophobia] refers to a baseless hostility and fear vis-à-vis Islam, and as a result a fear of and aversion towards all Muslims or the majority of them. It also refers to the practical consequences of this hostility in terms of discrimination, prejudices and unequal treatment of which Muslims (individuals and communities) are victims and their exclusion from major political and social spheres. The term was invented in response to a new reality: the increasing discrimination against Muslims which has manifested itself in recent years”. 20. Although the concept of Islamophobia is contemporary, its practice is not new and dates back to the first encounters between Islam and other religions as historically exemplified by events such as the Crusades. However, Islamophobia has rapidly taken new forms after the chain of events following 11 September 2001. While the driving force of Islamophobia in past centuries was religion, it appears that today the political dimension is on the rise, stemming from the societal changes linked with significant waves of immigration and the growing political and economic assertiveness of Muslim countries. 21. Other factors have also contributed to the rise in Islamophobia, including the development of an anti-immigration feeling in many parts of the world; human rights violations by repressive regimes perpetrated in the name of Islam; the existence of political movements that use terrorist tactics to attain their objectives, claiming to base themselves on Islam, which results in holding a large group - Muslims - responsible for the actions committed by individuals who wrongfully claim to act on its behalf. Furthermore, it is possible to see Islamophobia as a direct consequence