On Thursday 28 May the House of Lords debate on the Queen’s Speech included a focus on issues of foreign policy. Here are some extracts: Bishop of Coventry Tackling the international challenges identified in the gracious Speech demands determined campaigns to build peace and stability on many levels. I will mention only two. First, there…
Last November we reported the Oslo launch of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (here). Today Norwegian Parliamentarians are launching their national network/committee, following in the footsteps of similar initiatives in Brazil, Pakistan and Canada. Every party in the Norwegian parliament is now on board and are reported to have welcomed this…
After a flurry of diplomatic activity, the government of Burma has said that it will send representatives to a regional meeting in Bangkok on 29 May aimed at resolving the continuing humanitarian crisis of migrants stranded at sea in Southeast Asia and addressing the larger issue of human trafficking. Burma, which has previously refused to attend any conference…
It is seven years this month since seven Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and imprisoned. The Bahá’í Community of the UK are calling for the anniversary to be marked by action in the UK, through people writing to their newly-elected MP, requesting that they urge the Foreign Secretary to write to President Rouhani of Iran and press…
Humanitarian aid group the Free Burma Rangers reports that on 19 January in Kawng Hka Village in Northern Shan State, two Kachin girls – Maran Lu Ra (20) and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin (21) – were savagely raped and then clubbed to death by Burmese soldiers. The girls, missionaries sent out by the Kachin Baptist…
A new Amnesty International briefing published this week highlights that Christian migrants and refugees in Libya are at particular risk of abuse from armed groups aiming to impose their own interpretation of Islamic law. Refugees and migrants across Libya face rape, torture and abductions for ransom by traffickers and smugglers, as well as systematic exploitation…
Among the record numbers of migrants from Africa and Asia who are dying in European waters, many are fleeing war and poverty, but there also is a religious dimension: some of the migrants are Christians, unable to freely practice their faith in their home countries, says a recent report by World Watch Monitor. At least…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2015 Annual Report last month. This year’s report, the 16th since the Commission’s creation in 1998, documents religious freedom violations in 33 countries, makes country-specific recommendations, and assesses the U.S. government’s implementation of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). “Not a day goes by without…
As a new parliament convenes following the General Election, here is what the parties that mentioned Freedom of Religion or Belief said in their official manifestos: Conservative Party: We will stand up for the freedom of people of all religions – and non-religious people – to practise their beliefs in peace and safety, for example by supporting persecuted Christians in the…
Human Rights and Democracy 2014 presents the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s analysis of human rights around the world and its work to make a difference to peoples’ lives, helping to build the capacity of governments and civil society to promote and protect human rights. In the Foreword by Minister for Human Rights Baroness Anelay. she highlights…