Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech at the Global Coalition against Daesh ministerial meeting in Rome on 28 June 2021, what assessment he has made of the threat of Islamic State in Africa for African Christians and members of other religious minorities.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is committed to defending FoRB for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
The UK Government condemns attacks by Daesh-affiliated terrorist groups across sub-Saharan Africa. Terrorist groups such as Daesh's affiliate group in West Africa continue to cause immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian communities. They seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views. The UK remains absolutely committed to the lasting defeat of Daesh.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s factsheet entitled Nonbelievers in Africa published on 11 June 2021, what assessment his Department has made of the scale of challenges faced by non-religious people in Africa.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We have taken note of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom's factsheet entitled Nonbelievers in Africa. Protecting freedom of religion or belief for all faiths, and none, remains a priority for the UK Government. Members of non-religious communities continue to be victims of harassment and persecution, despite progress over recent years with the promotion of freedom of religion or belief for all. The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in many parts of the world, including in Africa. As the Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon underlined these points at the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group Annual General Meeting on 24 May.
Lord Ahmad works closely with the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP. In addition to championing FoRB, Mrs Bruce represents the UK at meetings of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance to advocate for the rights of individuals being discriminated against or persecuted on the basis of their faith or belief, including members of non-religious communities.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on protecting the (a) religious freedoms, (b) freedom of belief, and (c) human rights of (i) the Igbo community, (ii) Christians, (iii) all minority religious groups and (iv) people with no religion in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK is committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief around the world. We condemn all violence against civilians in Nigeria, irrespective of their religion and ethnicity. In the North East, terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, continue to cause immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian communities. These groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views.
We are also concerned by sharpening social divisions and intercommunal violence within Nigeria. We encourage reconciliation and constructive dialogue between the many ethnic groups, religious identities, and communities that make up and contribute to the strength and diversity of Nigeria. I [Minister Duddridge] discussed rising insecurity with the President's Chief of Staff, the Foreign Minister and the Governor of Lagos during my visit to Nigeria in April. Our High Commissioner regularly raises the importance of ensuring accountability for all human rights violations with senior interlocutors in the Nigerian government, including serious cases of discrimination on the basis of religion or belief.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of religious freedom in Eritrea; and what representations have they made to the government of Eritrea about the ongoing house arrest of Abune Antonios.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea, including the arrests of religious figures such as Patriarch Abune Antonios of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewadho Church who has been detained for over 15 years. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief raised Patriarch Abune Antonios' case with the Eritrean Ambassador on 20 May, and our Ambassador in Asmara tweeted to call for the Patriarch and others detained for their faith to be released.
The UK Government takes every opportunity to voice our concern about arbitrary arrests and detentions in Eritrea on the basis of religion or belief, and has called for the release of such worshippers. We have done so directly with the Government of Eritrea and publicly through our annual reporting on human rights and at the UN Human Rights Council. The UK raised Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Eritrea in a statement by the UK's International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council. We also encouraged Eritrea to make progress on their commitment to the Universal Periodic Review process including the promotion of FoRB. Eritrea remains a priority country under our annual human rights reporting, and we will continue to monitor the situation there. The Minister for Africa raised human rights when he met the Eritrean Ambassador to the UK on 16 March.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Ethiopian Orthodox priests being murdered in Tigray; and what assessment they have made of religious freedom in Ethiopia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Minister of State responsible for human rights issues for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, I [Lord Ahmad] tweeted on 11 May to express my deep sadness at the reported murder of priests in Tigray. This is one of an increasing number of horrifying reports of atrocities coming out of Tigray. Civilians must be protected and the violence must stop. We have also stressed the need for Ethiopia to safeguard its incredible diversity of faith and identity in order to uphold freedom of religion and belief.
The G7, under the UK Presidency, issued a statement on 2 April and a Communiqué on 5 May condemning human rights violations and abuses in Tigray. The UK also condemned in the strongest terms the reported killings of civilians in Tigray via a joint statement on Ethiopia with 41 other countries at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council. We support the UN's call for a "zero tolerance" policy and welcome the UN Security Council's 22 April Press Statement expressing their deep concern about allegations of human rights violations and abuses in the Tigray region. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that their joint investigations with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission into atrocities in Tigray are independent, transparent and impartial and that those responsible for these human rights abuses are held to account. The Foreign Secretary, Minister for Africa and our Ambassador in Addis continue to raise human rights issues in their discussions with the Ethiopian government.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on promoting freedom of religion in (a) Africa and (b) Asia in each of the last three years.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
Resources dedicated to FoRB work in Africa and Asia, including staff time, are not recorded centrally, but we have a number of human rights-related activities that contribute to supporting the FoRB agenda. This includes two targeted FoRB programmes through UK Aid Connect where we have spent £482,628, £1,683,095 and £2,785,822 in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The programmes are delivered by the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development which is led by the Institute of Development Studies, and the Freedom of Religion and Belief Leadership Network, managed by the University of Oxford. Both programmes have reach in Africa and Asia.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 threat to Christians following killings in Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK Government condemns all violence against civilians in Nigeria, irrespective of religion. In the North East of the country, terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, continue to cause immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian communities, including during recent attacks. These groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views. The UK Government is providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to support communities affected by the conflict.
Intercommunal violence across multiple states, including in the Middle Belt, also has a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. The underlying drivers of violence are complex, and frequently relate to competition over resources and increasing criminality. On 15 February, I [Minister Duddridge] tweeted my concerns about intercommunal violence and welcomed President Buhari's renewed commitment to protect all religious and ethnic groups in the country. On 26 and 27 April I [Minister Duddridge] met with a range of Nigerian interlocutors, including Governors from some of Nigeria's northern states, and Nigerian Government representatives, including the Foreign Minister. I [Minister Duddridge] raised the need for all communities to be protected amidst increasing insecurity. The British High Commissioner also regularly raises concerns over rising insecurity across Nigeria with the Federal Government. We will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to protect all communities, and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.
Asked by: Lord Suri (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the freedom of religion or belief in Burkina Faso.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Religion-based and intercommunal violence is part of a broader trend of security deterioration in Burkina Faso. We are deeply concerned about this insecurity, which is having a tragic impact on communities of all faiths. The UK condemns all attacks, including those targeting particular religions or ethnic communities. Nobody should live in fear because of their identity or beliefs.
At recent G5 Sahel meetings, the Minister for Africa and the Foreign Secretary set out the need to address impunity for human rights abuses and violations and improve efforts to enhance stability in the Sahel region. We are committed to using our memberships of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe, International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance and other international organisations and networks to promote and protect Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to help tackle religious persecution and gender based violence of Christian women in countries around the world.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all. We recognise that women and girls from religious minorities can often suffer because of both their gender and their faith. That is why we ensure our human rights policy work considers the intersectionality of human rights, including the importance of addressing the specific vulnerabilities experienced by women and girls from religious minority communities.
The UK is recognised as a global leader in tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all its forms, by pioneering approaches around the world that have shown that VAWG is preventable. In the DRC, a project with faith leaders and community action groups halved women's experience of intimate partner violence from 69% to 29%. Preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence remains a top priority for the FCDO. In November, the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, launched the Declaration of Humanity by faith and belief leaders which calls for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict and denounces the stigma faced by survivors, including by children born of rape. Through UK Aid Connect, FCDO has supported the Creid programme (managed by the Institute of Development Studies) to work with women from religious minorities in five countries in Africa and Asia to understand the problems they face and identify effective approaches to tackle these issues.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support and counsel persecuted Christian women who are stigmatised by sexual violence overseas.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all. We recognise that women and girls from religious minorities can often suffer because of both their gender and their faith. That is why we ensure our human rights policy work considers the intersectionality of human rights, including the importance of addressing the specific vulnerabilities experienced by women and girls from religious minority communities.
The UK is recognised as a global leader in tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all its forms, by pioneering approaches around the world that have shown that VAWG is preventable. In the DRC, a project with faith leaders and community action groups halved women's experience of intimate partner violence from 69% to 29%. Preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence remains a top priority for the FCDO. In November, Lord Ahmad launched the Declaration of Humanity by faith and belief leaders which calls for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict and denounces the stigma faced by survivors, including by children born of rape. Through UK Aid Connect, FCDO has supported the Creid programme (managed by the Institute of Development Studies) to work with women from religious minorities in five countries in Africa and Asia to understand the problems they face and identify effective approaches to tackle these issues.