Oral Answers to Questions

Jacob Young Excerpts

Thursday 22nd July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con)]

What assessment the Church of England has made of trends in the level of persecution of people for their religion or belief in 2021.

[Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con)]

What assessment the Church of England has made of trends in the level of persecution of people for their religion or belief in 2021.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous) [V]]

I am enormously grateful to all three of my right hon. and hon. Friends for continuing to bring the House’s attention to the ongoing, horrific levels of persecution of people for their religion or belief.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Selous]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the situation in Tigray is truly desperate. Both churches and mosques are being attacked and looted and, in some cases, their worshippers killed. Our bishops have raised their concerns forcefully with the Ethiopian ambassador and have asked our Ministers to relay their concerns to the newly elected Ethiopian Government.

[Jacob Young]

In Nigeria, violence against Christians is ongoing. Since December, there have been 10 mass kidnappings and repeated attacks on churches and religious leaders. The week before last, 30 people were killed and 200 homes and four churches were destroyed. What is the Church doing to bring that to global leaders’ attention so that this appalling suffering can be brought to an end?

[Andrew Selous]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. We sometimes need to pause for a moment to take in the enormity of what is happening. The Church of England continues to press the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to provide the financial and technical assistance necessary to address these horrendous violations of religious freedom. The Church is also working to enable parliamentarians in Nigeria and elsewhere to hold to account those who perpetuate such horrific violence. These victims will not be forgotten by us.