Mentions:
1: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) Freedom Act, which permanently established the equivalent role of an ambassador-at-large for religious - Speech Link
2: Andrew Mitchell (Con - Sutton Coldfield) The work of the special envoy, especially through the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Azerbaijan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Embassy in Baku is able to have open discussions about religious freedom with Government representatives and has been in contact with Grand Mufti, the spiritual leader for both the Sunni and Shia communities in Azerbaijan, who occasionally meets with the Leader of the Armenian Church.
Mentions:
1: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) Non-governmental organisations and Government representatives from the International Religious Freedom - Speech Link
2: David Rutley (Con - Macclesfield) Freedom or Belief Alliance. - Speech Link
3: Patricia Gibson (SNP - North Ayrshire and Arran) in and value freedom must stand up for it. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) We must take action to address the systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom - Speech Link
2: David Linden (SNP - Glasgow East) Let us work towards fostering a society where religious freedom is not simply a principle that we debate - Speech Link
3: Leo Docherty (Con - Aldershot) freedom in the country. - Speech Link
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps the Government is taking to help support persecuted Christians in (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. The UK condemns all attacks on the right to freedom of religion or belief.
We encourage the Israeli Government to do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in its laws. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise religious freedom with both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.
Mentions:
1: Jack Lopresti (Con - Filton and Bradley Stoke) Its state institutions are secular and its religious faith moderate. - Speech Link
2: John McDonnell (Lab - Hayes and Harlington) Freedom Day—which is on 3 May each year—and Iraq is ranked 167th for press freedom out of 180 countries - Speech Link
3: Leo Docherty (Con - Aldershot) Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) made about media freedom are well received. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) members of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance to raise awareness of cases of particular - Speech Link
2: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) of religious belief.” - Speech Link
3: Sarah Champion (Lab - Rotherham) First, religious persecution is widespread worldwide and it seems it is only getting worse. - Speech Link
4: Nusrat Ghani (Con - Wealden) Friend on her accomplishments as chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance. - Speech Link
5: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) One practical example is that the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, which now has 43 - Speech Link
Found: Religious persecution and the World Watch List 2024
Asked by: Conor Burns (Conservative - Bournemouth West)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what the Church's position is on freedom of religion in conflict zones in (a) the Middle East and (b) Europe.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The National Church Institutions recognise that freedom of religion or belief, like other human rights, is strongly correlated with political stability, and that repression of freedom of religion or belief, whether by societal hostility or state discrimination, can serve as major drivers of conflict and violence.
Sadly, in too many parts of the world today, whether that be in Russia or Ukraine, or in Iraq and Israel, the discrimination against or targeting of religious minorities is commonly associated with rising social tensions, intercommunal strife, violence and even mass atrocities.
Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) Although religious minorities comprise less than 5% of the total population, the percentage of religious - Speech Link
2: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer) communities in Pakistan and cement the UK’s leadership role in our strong belief and commitment to freedom - Speech Link
3: Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab - Life peer) He has heard me say many times that violations of freedom of religion or belief do not happen in isolation - Speech Link