66. Incidents against Muslims are fuelled by a combination of racism, hostility towards Islam and its adherents, powerful anti-immigrant sentiment, and the association of Muslims and Islam with terrorism. The sense of fear and vulnerability created by terrorist attacks and by concerns over immigration and integration issues has been exploited by far-right groups, and has led some media and political parties to publicly portray Muslims and immigrants as a threat to European security and economic well-being. People are wrongly led to believe that the traditions and values of Muslims are incompatible with those of contemporary pluralistic societies.41 The onus of addressing and redressing this misperception generally falls upon the authorities within participating States. 67. Responding to hate crime remains a challenge for many States for a number of reasons. To begin with, most States lack accurate data about the nature and extent of hate crime, which means that law enforcement and criminal-justice agencies are not armed with the information needed to combat such crimes. This is often compounded by the lack of an adequate legislative basis for defining and criminalizing hate crimes and other forms of intolerance, making it difficult to prosecute such cases. 68. In the course of collecting information on hate crimes in the OSCE region in line with its mandate, the ODIHR has noted a large number of such violent incidents directed at persons because of their perceived sexual orientation.42 Many participating States include sexual orientation among the prohibited grounds for discrimination in their national legislation. However, because of the specific situation surrounding sexual and gender identity, violent crimes and attacks against individuals are frequently unreported, undocumented and therefore often ultimately unpunished. In the face of this reality, the responsibility of participating States to extend effective protection is further heightened. 69. Recent years have seen the resurgence of centuries-old prejudices and hostilities against Roma and Sinti, who are negatively portrayed, especially in the debates around European enlargement and on the reform of asylum and immigration laws and of social-welfare systems. Despite slow progress in a number of participating States, obstacles and challenges persist. While relations between Romani communities and the police have traditionally been strained, there are an increasing number of reports suggesting that the police use disproportionate force and resort to violence that could be qualified as degrading treatment. States are encouraged to request the assistance of the relevant OSCE institutions and joint expert teams to document existing institutional practices and to provide advice on policing in multiethnic societies. For many Roma and Sinti, obtaining legal residence with secure living conditions is a prerequisite for the fulfilment of other rights. Without an address, it is often impossible to register for public services or engage in lawful income-generating activities. Problems include: forced evictions, lack of secure land tenure, inadequate alternative housing, lack of civil registration and of voting registration, and the inability of Roma and Sinti children to attend school. 70. Throughout the OSCE region, individuals and groups continue to face restrictions on their right to freedom of religion or belief. Problems include discrimination against individuals in the workplace and public services, defamation campaigns against minority religions 41  See the Second Semi-Annual Report for 2006 by the Personal Representative of the CiO of the OSCE on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, 2 November 2006, p. 1. 42  See note 40 of this report. Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation 23