Tag: Iraq

Caroline Spelman raises plight of displaced Christians and religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq

On 12th July 2017 the Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Priri Patel MP, made a statement to the House of Commons about the humanitarian situation in Mosul, Iraq. The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, asked a follow up question:

Dame Caroline Spelman (Meriden) (Con): Mosul was home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the region, but religious minorities suffered dreadfully at the hands of ISIS. What can DFID do to ensure that such minorities are able to return to their place of origin? Continue reading “Caroline Spelman raises plight of displaced Christians and religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq”

Bishop of Southwark asks whether UK Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme will also help Iraqi refugees

southwark-20feb17On 27th June 2017, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received a written answer to a question on the UK Syrian Vulnerable Persons Scheme.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, what steps they are taking to expand the UK Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme to include Iraqi refugees in Jordan. [HL154] Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks whether UK Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme will also help Iraqi refugees”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about aid and religious freedom in Iraq and Egypt

On 14th March 2017 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received written answers to five questions to Government on aid and religious freedom in Iraq and Egypt. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about aid and religious freedom in Iraq and Egypt”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about funding of faith-based organisations for humanitarian work in Iraq

On 9th and 10th March 2017 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received written answers to questions of Government about funding for humanitarian work by faith-based organisations in Iraq:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 20 February (HL5245), what steps they are taking to encourage faith-based organisations in Iraq to access UK funding through the UN-managed Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about funding of faith-based organisations for humanitarian work in Iraq”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about help for minority people in Iraq to return to their homes

On 9th March 2017 the Bishop of Coventry asked a question in the House of Lords that he had tabled, on help for displaced minority communities in Iraq. His question and follow-up, with those of other Members is reproduced below.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to help displaced minority communities in Iraq to return to their homes in areas liberated from Daesh.

The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Lord Bates) (Con): My Lords, UK aid is supporting vulnerable people, including minorities, to return to their homes in areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq. With UK funding, the UN is helping people to return home by restoring light infrastructure, re-opening hospitals and schools, and providing cash assistance to people who need to re-establish their livelihoods.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: I thank the Minister for his reply and pay tribute to the Government’s work thus far. The Minister may like to know that I was in Iraq in January and was gladdened by personal assurances from the President, the Prime Minister and the Iraqi authorities about their desire to rebuild the diverse fabric of the society. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about help for minority people in Iraq to return to their homes”

Bishop of Coventry receives answers to questions about the situation in Iraq

13.10 Bishop of CoventryOn the 20th February 2017, the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received written answers to questions about the situation in Iraq.

Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what political and financial assistance they are providing to strengthen and develop the structures and mechanisms for interreligious dialogue and co-operation in Iraq. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry receives answers to questions about the situation in Iraq”

Bishop of Coventry on peacebuilding and need to protect minority communities in Syria

On 9th February 2017 the House of Lords debated a motion from Crossbench Peer Baroness Cox “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of recent developments in Syria.” The Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, spoke in the debate:

Coventry Moses RoomThe Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for securing this debate. My main reason for speaking is to draw your Lordships’ attention and, especially, Her Majesty’s Government, to a recent report by the World Council of Churches, The Protection Needs of Minorities in Syria and Iraq. It is a serious piece of field study that has gathered the first-hand views of some 4,000 people, over 2,000 of them Syrians from minority communities: Christians, Yazidis, Druze, Turkmen and many others. I was in Baghdad and Irbil last month as part of a World Council of Churches delegation to test the findings of the report with community leaders and members, as well as with UNAMI and locally based NGOs, and confirm the soundness of its recommendations. I have every reason to believe that the report’s analysis of the Syrian situation is as credible as we found its Iraqi analysis to be. Therefore I ask the Minister that the Government engage with this robust report. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry on peacebuilding and need to protect minority communities in Syria”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about refusal of visas to Archbishops from Syria and Iraq

13.10 Bishop of CoventryOn the 21st December 2016, the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received answers to written questions concerning visa applications from Syria and Iraq and the refusal of visas to Archbishops.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review why the Archbishop of Mosul, the Archbishop of St Matthews and the Archbishop of Homs and Hama were refused visas to travel to the UK from Iraq and Syria to attend the consecration of the Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in London. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about refusal of visas to Archbishops from Syria and Iraq”

Bishop of London responds to the Chilcot Report on the invasion of Iraq

“There is no doubt that someone who dwells on history can be somewhat tedious, but at the same time someone with a sense of destiny and no sense of history can be very dangerous.”- Bishop of London, 12/7/16

On 12th July 2016 the House of Lords debated a Government motion “That this House takes note of the Report of the Iraq Inquiry”. The Bishop of London, Rt Rev and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, spoke in the debate:

Bp London 131015The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is humbling to follow such a powerful and authoritative voice. I am also grateful to the Minister for the constructive way he introduced this debate and invited us to think about the lessons we can apply now. Sir John Chilcot recommends more thorough analysis before military action and a more collaborative approach to policy-making. I imagine that every one of your Lordships would probably agree that the case is well made, but politicians caught up in oppressive events, a rapidly changing situation and a 24/7 news environment, and with an ally who is losing patience, do not have much time for pondering decisions. Therefore—this echoes many of the remarks of the previous noble Lord—the culture and assumptions that leaders bring to the crisis are hugely significant. Continue reading “Bishop of London responds to the Chilcot Report on the invasion of Iraq”

Bishop of Ely responds to statement on Chilcot report on Iraq War

ElyOn 6th July 2016, Earl Howe repeated a Government statement on the Chilcot Inquiry. The Bishop of Ely, Rt. Rev. Stephen Conway, responded to the statement.

 

The Lord Bishop of Ely: My Lords, I take the opportunity to draw out what has already been implicit in what has been said so far this afternoon about the deep moral dimension of what we are discussing. I agree with the noble Lord that our troops need not only the assurance of our support, through the covenant, that they have been doing their duty, but the right to believe that what they had been entered into was right and that, when they sacrifice their lives or their continued health, they understand that they were doing something that was entered into with great integrity in the service of others. Continue reading “Bishop of Ely responds to statement on Chilcot report on Iraq War”

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