A/HRC/9/12 page 5 Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 7/19 of 27 March 2007 entitled “Combating defamation of religions”, in which the Council invited the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to report to it at its ninth session on all manifestations of defamation of religions and in particular on the serious implications of Islamophobia on the enjoyment of all rights. 2. This report is to be read in conjunction with the previous reports submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the Human Rights Council and the Commission on Human Rights, namely: the report on the manifestations of defamation of religions and in particular on the serious implications of Islamophobia on the enjoyment of all rights (A/HRC/6/6); the report on incitement to racial and religious hatred and the promotion of tolerance (A/HRC/2/3) submitted to the Council jointly with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; the reports submitted to the Commission on the situation of Muslims and Arab peoples in various parts of the world with special reference to physical assaults and attacks against their places of worship, cultural centres, businesses and properties in the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001 (E/CN.4/2003/23, E/CN.4/2005/19 and E/CN.4/2006/17); and the report entitled “Defamation of religions and global efforts to combat racism: anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia” (E/CN.4/2005/18/Add.4). 3. In accordance with the Human Rights Council’s request, the Special Rapporteur will focus in this report on the phenomenon of Islamophobia. However, he wishes to point out that this does not imply the establishment of any hierarchy in the forms of discrimination against the different religions. As he noted in his previous reports, strategies to combat anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia should promote the idea that it is necessary to treat these different phobias in the same way and to avoid establishing any priorities with regard to combating all forms of discrimination. 4. The purpose of this report is therefore to summarize and update the main analyses, conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur in the various thematic reports on the defamation of religions already submitted to the Council and the Commission. 5. In chapter I, the Special Rapporteur analyzes the phenomenon of defamation of religions and its different forms in the current political and ideological context. In chapter II, he summarizes his main analyses and conclusions concerning particular forms of religious-based discrimination, with special reference to Islamophobia in all its manifestations and particularly since the events of 11 September 2001, to anti-Semitism, to Christianophobia and to discrimination against other religions and spiritual traditions and practices. In chapter III, the Special Rapporteur spells out the relationship between each of these specific forms of discrimination and the universal nature of measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, stressing in particular the need to resituate the problem of the defamation of religions in terms of the principles and norms embodied in international human rights instruments. In chapter IV, he describes provisions aimed at combating incitement to national, racial or religious hatred and possible limitations to freedom of expression contained in various international and regional instruments and national enactments. In chapter V, in conclusion, he submits his recommendations.