KARACHI: Freedom of religion has been protected in several treaties and declarations. Article 18 of the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 says that every person shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion and freedom, either individually…
The “Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy puts human rights centre stage of foreign policy,” is the opening line of the FCO news release. It continues “This report focuses on how the government is working to protect and promote human rights around the world. It also sets out our 30 Human Rights Priority Countries…
Earlier this month, 4 members of Saudi Arabia’s Shi’a community, one of which is understood to have been a juvenile when sentenced, were executed. In light of these executions, the APPG is concerned about the further members of Saudi’s Shi’a community – 14 at least – whose death sentences have recently been upheld. While waiting…
The Iranian Christian prisoner Ebrahim Firouzi has begun a hunger strike in protest against recent long prison sentences given to Christians in Iran. In recent weeks 11 Christians, including 2 church pastors, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms of 10 years or more, ostensibly on charges of (or related to) acting against national security….
CNN’s Nathan A. Thompson reports from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: Children with henna-painted hands play outside mud-walled hovels with damaged roofs in one of Bangladesh’s biggest refugee camps. They’re among 276,000 Rohingya people living in camps and informal settlements in and around Cox’s Bazar, according to estimates by the United Nation Human Rights Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Many…
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has confirmed that on 16 July, the legitimate patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Abune Antonius, who has been under house arrest since 2007, participated in a Mass held at St Mary’s Cathedral in Asmara. The Mass was attended by hundreds of worshippers and was the patriarch’s first public appearance in…
Question asked by Baroness Berridge To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and (2) the consequent impact on Bangladesh. Baroness Goldie (Con) My Lords, we remain concerned by the systematic discrimination against the Muslim Rohingya community in Rakhine state. We are especially…
Westminster Hall debate 4 July 2017 – featured in BBC Radio 4’s Today in Parliament Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP) I beg to move, That this House has considered persecution of Christians and the role of UK embassies. Today is 4 July, independence day for the United States of America, which enshrined religious freedom as one…
Q Asked by Jim Shannon (Strangford): Middle East: Religious Freedom (271) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with governments in the Middle East to encourage a better understanding of human rights provision relating to inter-faith marriages. A Answered by: Alistair Burt on 27 June…
The Officers of the APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief are deeply concerned about the attack which took place in Parachinar, Pakistan on 23 June. During the evening of 23 June, Turi Market was crowded with people shopping for food to break their fast with the evening Ramadan meal. At 5pm, a bomb-laden…