Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of the persecution of Christians in Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. We monitor the situation for religious and non-religious communities globally and recognise the persecution of Christians and other groups on account of their faith or beliefs, including in Africa. We work multilaterally and bilaterally to promote FoRB, and it remains an important priority for our work in Africa. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, the Honourable member for Congleton, plays an active role in supporting this work and spoke at the launch of Aid to the Church in Need's Africa focussed report in Parliament on 24 October.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to persecuted Christians in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We welcomed the progress made by the Sudanese transitional government from 2019 to 2021, which included decriminalising apostasy, declaring Christmas a national holiday and lifting public order laws that disproportionately affected Christian women. However, we are aware that these significant steps taken to improve religious freedom have stalled since 2021. In May this year, following the outbreak of conflict in April, we announced £21.7 million in humanitarian assistance for Sudan, part of a £143 million package of aid for East Africa. This includes support to protection activities for vulnerable people affected by the conflict. The UK continues to fund and support the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR), a UN body that provides a crucial role in monitoring and reporting on human rights violations.
Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to protect the freedom of worship and property of Palestinian Muslims in occupied Hebron, in view of the closure of the Ibrahimi mosque to Muslims for two days for Jewish Passover activities during Ramadan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises issues of religious freedom with the Israeli Government. We continue to call on all sides to ensure those of all faiths in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are able to practise their faiths in peace and security. We engage the Israeli authorities to ensure access to the holy sites for Palestinians across the OPTs. As set out in the House of Commons on 24 April by Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for Development and Africa, we welcome Israel's decision to prevent non-Muslims from visiting al-Aqsa mosque during the final days of Ramadan, which we regard as an important de-escalatory act.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the closure of churches in Algeria.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in Algeria. We engage regularly with groups from different faiths to understand their circumstances and any challenges they may face. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, raised the ability of religious minorities to freely practice their faith with the Algerian authorities during her visit to Algiers in September 2022. The Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised church closures when he met the Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs in June 2022 and also with the Algerian Ambassador to the UK in March 2023.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Nigerian High Commission on (a) religious tension and violence in Nigeria and (b) whether it should be categorised as religious persecution or criminality.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK Government condemns all violence against civilians in Nigeria. The root causes of conflict are complex. Religious identity can be a factor, and competition over land and resources, historical grievances, violent extremism, and criminality are also important drivers of conflict.
FCDO officials regularly meet the Nigerian High Commission. Former Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, raised religious identity and violence with the Nigerian High Commissioner in July 2021.
We welcomed the pledge from the High Commissioner at the Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief to uphold Nigeria's constitutional right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Algerian authorities following reports of the arrest of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We regularly monitor the situation in Algeria for minority religious groups, including Ahmadis, and routinely meet stakeholders to better understand concerns. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, raised the ability of religious minorities to freely practice their faith with the Algerian authorities during her visit to Algiers in September 2022. Then-Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the case of the Ahmadis when he met the Minister of Religious Affairs in June 2022.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the killing of church worshippers in the town of Owo, Ondo State on 5 June, what discussions she has had with the Nigerian authorities on steps they are taking to prevent further similar incidents in (a) the Christian-majority south and (b) other areas of Nigeria.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Increasing insecurity across Nigeria is having a devastating impact on affected communities. I [the Minister for Africa] publicly condemned the attack on a church in Owo, Ondo State, stressing the importance of those responsible being brought to justice. All religious communities should be able to practise their faith without fear. It is clear that religious identity can be a factor in incidents of violence in Nigeria. Both Christian and Muslim communities have been victims of violence. The root causes of violence are complex, and in the case of intercommunal violence, frequently relate to competition over resources, historical grievances and criminality.
I [the Minister for Africa] regularly discuss insecurity in Nigeria with the Nigerian authorities, and we are committed to working with Nigeria to help them respond. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to work together to respond to security challenges across the country, including serious and organised crime, kidnaps and terrorism. The UK Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence, whilst also ensuring Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of, and freedom of religion for, Christians in Nigeria
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Nigeria's Constitution guarantees freedom of religion or belief. The security situation in Nigeria, and its impact on Christians and other religious or belief minorities is complex.
In the North East, terrorist groups such as Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram have caused immense suffering to both Christian and Muslim communities. These groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths or beliefs who do not subscribe to their extremist views.
Elsewhere in Nigeria, intercommunal violence has had a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. Our assessment is that religious identity can be a factor in incidents of intercommunal violence, but the underlying drivers are more complex. These include competition over land and natural resources, which has been exacerbated by climate change, historical grievances, and criminality.
We will continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including religious or belief minorities, and human rights for all Nigerians.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to discuss with the government of Nigeria the increased targeting of clergy and church workers following a series of abductions in June.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Rising insecurity in Nigeria, including reports that clergy and church workers have been abducted, is concerning. The UK Government is working with Nigeria to respond. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to work together to respond to security challenges including kidnaps. We are providing mentoring and capacity-building support to Nigerian Police Force units to improve their anti-kidnap capacity, to help reduce harm to victims, and to hold those responsible to account, in support of our shared objective of reducing kidnaps. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and our High Commissioner in Abuja, regularly raise insecurity in Nigeria in their meetings with the Nigerian authorities, and will continue to do so in future discussions.
Clergy and church workers deserve to work in safety, and all religious communities should be able to practice their faith without fear. The UK Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence, whilst also ensuring Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss the lynching of Deborah Yakubu with the government of Nigeria; and what steps they will take to promote the protection of Nigerians against religious persecution.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto State, Nigeria, on 13 May was a barbaric and heinous act. In response, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean expressed her public condemnation, and urged the relevant authorities to ensure the perpetrators face justice in line with the law.
Defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities, is a longstanding human rights priority for the UK Government. The UK Government regularly discusses human rights in Nigeria with the Nigerian authorities, stressing the importance of protecting and promoting human rights for all. During her visit to Nigeria in February, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean met with community and religious leaders, with whom she discussed, among other things, the impact of the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria on local people, and their rights. She also discussed growing insecurity and violence with Nigeria's Vice President and Foreign Minister.