House of Commons · Westminster Hall
17 November 2022 · 6 other contributors · 12,600 words
Opened by Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Responding minister: Andrew Mitchell
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Jim Shannon raised concerns about persecution of christians — [dame maria miller in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I ask the Government to continue seeking answers about where aid is going in countries like Nigeria and Pakistan, ensuring religious groups benefit from assistance and not fuel oppression of Christians. I also urge linking foreign and development aid to improvements in freedom of religion or belief conditions.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the deteriorating conditions for Christians worldwide. In 2019, religious groups—especially Christians—were persecuted in 190 out of 198 countries. In 2022, 360 million Christians experienced high levels of persecution and discrimination, an increase from 340 million the previous year. Cases include forced conversions, kidnappings, and murders.
The hon. Gentleman has set out the statistics about how many Christians have been persecuted for their faith. He agrees that, as a Christian country with an established Church, we need to do more to protect Christians in the UK and across the world, using our global influence especially within the Commonwealth.
Mr. Leigh expressed concern about the worsening situation for Christians in Nigeria, where approximately 7,000 Christians have been murdered within a certain period. He also mentioned new countries like Nicaragua and Myanmar experiencing increasing persecution of civil society and local churches. He highlighted the case of Maira Shahbaz, emphasizing her need for asylum due to rape and continued house arrest. Mr. Leigh noted the decline in Christianity's presence in its Middle Eastern origins, including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. Additionally, he raised concerns about false accusations against Cardinal Zen in Hong Kong.
Hamilton praised the contributions from other MPs and highlighted the persecution of Christians, noting that 360 million Christians face extreme levels of persecution. He raised concerns about sexual violence against Christian women and girls and mentioned specific cases in Nicaragua where religious freedom was suppressed by the Ortega regime.
She welcomed the Minister's commitment to humanitarian aid, highlighting the importance of addressing religious differences as a root cause of violence and promoting cohesion. She urged support for projects fostering understanding between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Ms. Fiona Bruce briefly intervened to discuss ongoing projects such as the creation of education materials for primary schools based on discussions from a ministerial conference. She noted that it would take some time for these initiatives to yield results but expressed hope for progress in 2023. London will host a conference on preventing sexual violence in conflict from 28-29 November, and I asked if it would highlight the double jeopardy for women who are persecuted for both their gender and faith or belief.
I am delighted to participate in a debate on the freedom of religion or belief, specifically the persecution of Christians. I highlighted that it is important for this issue to remain on the radar of not only this House but also the international community. The hon. Member noted 732 blasphemy-related incidents across 41 countries between 2014 and 2018, with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt accounting for nearly 80% of all reported incidents of mob activity. I paid tribute to the work of Open Doors in supporting persecuted Christians around the world.
Mr. Patrick Grady emphasised the importance of speaking up for Christians persecuted around the world and highlighted organisations like Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Aid to the Church in Need. He mentioned Nigeria's severe religious persecution statistics, particularly regarding the Pentecost Sunday 2022 massacre. Mr. Grady also discussed Iran's restrictions on public expression of faith by Christians and raised concerns about Cardinal Joseph Zen's arrest in Hong Kong for peaceful activities. He further addressed sectarianism issues in Glasgow and Scotland, praising Archbishop Mario Conti's efforts towards ecumenical dialogue. Additionally, he criticised the language used to demonise asylum seekers arriving on small boats and called for better access to visas for religious leaders.
Government Response
Andrew MitchellIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Maria. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford for securing the debate and commend him for his long-standing commitment to freedom of religion or belief for all. The Government are committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for everyone, enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights and our organisational values. We demonstrated our commitment this summer by hosting an international ministerial conference that brought together over 800 faith and belief leaders and human rights actors. As a result, 47 Governments, international organisations and other entities made pledges to take action in support of freedom of religion or belief. The UK pursues three broad strands to advance freedom of religion or belief: working through multilateral bodies; working with states directly to encourage and support them to uphold their human rights obligations; and continuing work to implement the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's 2019 review. We condemn attacks on places of worship, as in the case of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, which we condemn horrifically. The UK will continue to raise awareness of all persecution and defend the right to freedom of religion or belief for everyone, everywhere.