A/HRC/9/12 page 6 I. THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL CONTEXT 6. The defamation of religions is part of a disturbing worldwide trend marked by the rise of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, with its roots in the current political and ideological context. This context is characterized by five major forms of intellectual drift: the equation of the factors of race, culture and religion; a hierarchical rather than dialectical and complementary interpretation of human rights; suspicion of religion; rejection of diversity; and, finally, an excessive emphasis on the factors of identity and security reflecting a defensive and exclusive approach. 7. In his previous reports, the Special Rapporteur underlined that this political and ideological context is marked by three powerful tendencies apparent in all regions of the world. The most serious current manifestation of the regression in the struggle against racism is the resurgence of racist and xenophobic violence in the world. This tendency finds expression in particular in acts of physical violence perpetrated by extremist, neo-Nazi and nationalist groups targeting religious, ethnic or cultural communities. 8. The second powerful trend highlighted by the Special Rapporteur in his recent reports to the Council and the General Assembly involves the political banalization and democratic legitimization of racism and xenophobia. In particular, the Special Rapporteur notes with disquiet the way in which political parties preaching racist and xenophobic platforms manage to introduce and implement these ideas by means of government alliances that guarantee them a place on the political stage and access to the apparatus of the State. This democratic legitimization of racism currently represents the most serious threat to democracy and human rights. 9. The current political and ideological context is also strongly influenced by the intellectual and scientific legitimization of racism, xenophobia and intolerance, which constitutes the third major trend highlighted by the Special Rapporteur in the course of his term of office. This trend is illustrated by a growing number of so-called scientific publications and declarations whose stock-in-trade is historical stereotypes underlying prejudice and racist and xenophobic theories and manifesting themselves in an ethnic, racial or religious interpretation of current problems. Recent illustrations of this phenomenon include: the claims by Nobel Laureate in Medicine, James Watson, that persons of African descent are intellectually inferior, reviving historical stereotypes at the basis of anti-Black racism; the invitation to the negationist David Irving to speak at the Oxford Union Debating Society; the association of Islam with violence; the reductive association of Judaism with domination and power; and the identification of Christianity with Western domination. 10. This process involving the intellectual legitimization of racism, xenophobia and religious hatred springs from a deep-rooted rejection of multiculturalism and diversity, which is one of the main sources of the resurgence of racist, xenophobic and antireligious violence worldwide. The Special Rapporteur points out that, in ideological terms, the Manichean concept of the clash of civilizations and religions - the implicit hierarchization of cultures, races, civilizations and the mistrust of religions - represents the new ideological foundation for political and intellectual elites and erstwhile Cold-War ideologues. The new international context of the fight against terrorism has further strengthened the trend towards ideological polarization and the retreat into separate identities.