Tag: freedom of religion

Bishop of Leeds asks about freedom of religion in Pakistan

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 12th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of freedom of (1) religion, and (2) belief, in Pakistan; and what is their strategy for supporting those freedoms in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities around the globe. Pakistan is one of the FCDO’s human rights priority countries and protecting FoRB is an integral part of our engagement on human rights in Pakistan. The UK Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about impact of cuts to overseas aid on freedom of religion and belief

During a debate on freedom of religion and belief internationally following an APPG report, the Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the impact cuts to overseas aid would have on countries such as Nigeria:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: I thank the Minister for the priority he gives to freedom of religion or belief, but Her Majesty’s Government are reducing aid to many countries and regions prone to serious freedom of religion or belief violations, including an apparent 58% cut in ODA to Nigeria while the country faces immense challenges due to a surge in religious-based violence. Will the Minister describe the anticipated impacts of these aid cuts on violence and stability in Nigeria and indicate how any such impacts might be mitigated?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about religious freedom in Pakistan

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 8th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they are taking to engage with (1) religious, and (2) belief, leaders in Pakistan about the state of freedom of (a) religion, and (b) belief, in that country; and what support they are providing to help those leaders address any matters of concern.
  • what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan concerning the state of freedom of (1) religion, and (2) belief, in that country; and what support they have offered that government to protect those freedoms.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about issues of freedom of religion and belief relating to vaccination

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the issue of strongly held religious beliefs against vaccination on 23rd June 2021, during a discussion on a Commons Urgent Question on the COVID-19 Events Research Programme:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Church of England has adopted a clear policy on encouraging people to be vaccinated. However, at the same time, like many organisations, we cater for a variety of people, some with strongly held ethical convictions and objections to the vaccine, covering issues from animal testing to the use of aborted foetal cells. What plans do Her Majesty’s Government have to uphold freedom of religion and belief and offer an alternative to vaccine certification for religious events?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about religious freedom in Eritrea

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 10th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked 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.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): 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.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about religious freedom in Ethiopia

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 7th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked 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.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about freedom of religion and expression in Turkey

24th May 2021

The Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the conviction of Sefer (Aho) Bileçen of the Mor Yahqup d-Qarne Monastery on terrorism charges in April, what assessment they have made of the government of Turkey’s policies towards freedom of (1) religion, and (2) cultural expression.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about issues faced by the Anglican Church in Egypt

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of freedom of religion or belief in Egypt.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, FCDO): The UK welcomes the positive steps taken by the Government of Egypt in recent years, including President Sisi’s public commitment to upholding the rights of minorities and freedom of worship, as well as the protections for freedom of religion enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. We were also encouraged by the opening of the Middle East’s largest cathedral in Egypt in 2019.

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Bishop of Worcester asks about human rights and freedom of religion and belief overseas

The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answers on 9th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked Her Majesty’s Government which countries are observers to the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.

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Bishop of Coventry raises access to religious sites and humanitarian aid in Azerbaijan

On 8th March 2021 the Bishop of Coventry received written answers to questions of Government on access to humanitarian aid and to religious sites in Azerbaijan by Armenians:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the implementation of restrictions for Armenians to visit the Dadivank Monastery, what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan to ensure that Armenians are able to access sites of historical religious importance in areas returned to Azerbaijan. [HL13382]

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