Baroness Berridge writes for PoliticsHome ahead of her Oral Question today in the House of Lords [Read the full debate] on ensuring the Commonwealth Communiqué’s commitment to eradicate forced marriage is realised and assessing its inter-relationship with forced conversion. Early and Forced Marriages (EFM) are a major scourge across the Commonwealth. They are a…
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eritrea held a closed session yesterday to examine ongoing religious persecution in Eritrea, in a meeting entitled: Religious persecution in Eritrea: A crime against humanity. The meeting was chaired by Lord Alton of Liverpool, who is a member of the APPGs for Eritrea and International Freedom of Religion or Belief….
Chris Philp (Croydon South) (Con) I beg to move, that this House has considered the matter of the persecution of Christians overseas. In April last year, a young Nigerian woman, Dorkas Zakka, was murdered, along with 12 others in Kafanchan, simply for attending an Easter mass. Local priest Father Alexander Yeycock said that Nigerian military…
Chris Philp MP has introduced his Westminster Hall debate today – watch it in full – by writing in PoliticsHome under the headline The systematic persecution of Christians is an international tragedy In April last year, a young Nigerian woman, Dorkas Zakka, was murdered along with 12 others in Kafanchan state simply for attending an Easter…
Ending blasphemy laws around the globe is ‘a priority for Government’, Foreign Office Minister of State for Human Rights Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon told a joint meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group….
The USCIRF 2018 Annual Report, released today, recommends 16 Countries be designated “Countries of Particular Concern” CPCs are governments that engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom. The 16 countries for CPC designation: 10 that the State Department so designated in December 2017—Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,…
Lord Suri asked “What director level staffing changes, if any, the Government intend to make in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide greater capacity for that department to co-ordinate, oversee and deliver policy to advance freedom of religion and belief?” Watch the response and subsequent debate Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Religion Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)…
With the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) coming to London next week, Parliamentarians have been urging that Freedom of Religion or Belief is on the agenda and included in the final communique. Read more Leaders from 53 countries in the Commonwealth of Nations will meet in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and…
My heart goes out to all who this day, whatever their beliefs, are being persecuted on religious grounds. And at this time of Easter, when our minds are recalled to the suffering of Our Lord two thousand years ago, we think especially of those Christians who are suffering for their faith in many places around…
Yezidi women: ISIS survivors is the title of an exhibition presented in Parliament’s Upper Waiting Hall from 26-29 March. Artist Hannah Rose Thomas travelled last summer to Iraq, where she helped run art classes for Yezidi Women who had escaped ISIS captivity. The aim was to enable these women to share their stories through painting their self-portraits. More…