Question for Short Debate, asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB) My Lords, in welcoming the Minister to her fairly new responsibilities, the lodestar in today’s short debate is Article 18…
The Pew Research Center recently updated a post on this topic. “In dozens of countries around the world, laws against apostasy and blasphemy remain on the books and often are enforced. Last December, for instance, authorities in Sudan charged 25 men for apostasy – the act of abandoning one’s faith — including by converting to…
Robert Joustra teaches politics and international studies at Redeemer University College (Canada). He has written an essay: Advice for the Next American President: Commonwealth Collaboration, Cooperation, and Concern on Freedom of Religion or Belief Here are some key extracts: The Commonwealth is such a sprawling, cosmopolitan group that its sheer diversity makes it startling that a common…
The U.S. State Department has released its 2015 International Religious Freedom Report. Required by U.S. law, the report contains an assessment of the conditions supporting, or suppressing, freedom of religion or belief in nearly 200 countries, excluding the United States. View the report online The following are extracts from today’s press briefing given by David N. Saperstein, Ambassador-at-Large…
Lord Alton of Liverpool has written a blog for CTS Catholic Compass: Earlier this year I launched a report in Parliament cataloguing the systematic campaign targeting Pakistan’s religious minorities, particularly Christians and Ahmadis. Among those targeted was Shahbaz Bhatti, the murdered Catholic Minister for Minorities. The report is a catalogue of outright persecution. It followed…
After more than two and a half years of unlawful detention and abuse at the hands of the Egyptian government, a prominent convert from Islam to Christianity has issued a public statement declaring he has returned to Islam, reports Morning Star News. Mohammed Hegazy, also known by his Christian name, Bishoy Armia Hegazy, posted on…
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief today warned, in light of recent articles in the British press about the hijab, that questioning religious freedoms in the UK will damage the UK’s international standing: “We are shocked and embarrassed by attempts this week in the UK press to question the right…
Yesterday Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, joined the APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), alongside partners, to speak on human rights within trade deals post-Brexit. He called for coordinated action to ensure that human rights are not lost in the details of trade negotiations when the…
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported in December 2016 that the final hearing in the case was postponed four times this year before it was held on 6 December and the court delivered an oral verdict dropping all charges and calling for the bail money to be returned to the eight Christians. The written verdict is expected…
19 July 2016 9.30 am Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP) I beg to move, That this House has considered persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East and its effect on the UK. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I thank all hon. Members who have made the effort to come to…