The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 18th July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, in the light of the suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias on 22 June, what support they have given to the new government of Syria to help to protect the Christian population against attack.
Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about threats against Christians in Syria”
The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 23rd June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to curb the sale of looted antiquities from Syria on the international market.
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The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the need to protect Christian communities in Syria during a discussion on the current transition period in the Syrian government on 6th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, Syria is home to some of the oldest and most significant Christian churches in the world, although Christians now number only 2.5% of Syria’s population. Although small in number, they see themselves as an integral part of the people of Syria and its identity. In view of this, will the Minister ensure that policy and statements about Syria robustly identify its Christian communities and history as an important part of its identity and life and in need of special protection, rather than simply being assimilated as Syrians defined as citizens of the state?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about protection of Christian communities in Syria”The Bishop of Winchester asked a question on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Syria on 19th December 2024, following a government statement on the recent regime change in the country:
The Lord Bishop of Winchester: I am very grateful to the Minister for repeating the Statement. I particularly welcome what he said about the appointment of a Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and what he said about north-east Syria. Forgive me for returning to that subject, given the reassurances he has given, but the semi-autonomous region of north-east Syria is an oasis of plurality in the region, where freedom of religion or belief is respected and women take a leading role in governance. It provides an exemplar for the whole region, yet it is under significant pressure from repressive forces supported by our NATO ally, Turkey. I believe that this is an asymmetric aggression, so can the Minister please assure the House that the UK will continue, along with other NATO allies, to bring pressure to bear on Turkey to desist from its destabilising activities in the region?
Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks abut freedom of religion in Syria”The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on protection of refugees from Syria, particularly those in minority groups, following a government statement on the recent regime change in the country:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, although Governments might learn a lot about not establishing red lines in other countries where we then breach them, which we have done with Putin and, particularly, in Syria with chemical weapons, it is clearly too early to know how Russia will respond to this. We know that it has withdrawn some of its naval fleet, but we do not know what the immediate future holds in Putin’s mind. These are early days—I am glad to hear in the Statement that asylum claims have been suspended, as it were, for the time being—but can the Minister give any guarantee that nobody will be returned to Syria before we are clearer about what they might be going back to, especially if they belong to a minority, and that proper hearings will still be held so that justice is done for some very vulnerable people?
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 27th February 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing to support victims of the earthquake in Turkey and northern Syria.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about assistance for victims of earthquake in Syria and Turkey”On 26th October 2020 the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on alleged war crimes by the Syrian National Army.
Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 October (HL8334), what plans they have to disclose the government of Turkey’s response to the representations made by UK officials over allegations that the Syrian National Army may have committed war crimes against Kurdish civilians in Afrin and the surrounding area. [HL8990] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about war crimes allegations against Syrian Army”
On 6th October 2020 the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on allegations that the Syrian National Army may have committed war crimes against Kurdish civilians:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the report by the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic 21st report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, published on 15 September, what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the allegations that the Syrian National Army may have committed war crimes against Kurdish civilians in Afrin and the surrounding area. [HL8334] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about alleged Syrian war crimes”
On 30th April and 4th May 2020 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received written answers to questions on refugees in Syria and around the world and vulnerability to coronavirus:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: HL3255 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to limit the vulnerability of refugees around the world to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about impact of coronavirus on refugees in Syria and worldwide”
On 30th April 2020 during a virtual sitting of the House of Lords, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a question he had tabled about the situation in Idlib, Syria. The response, his follow-up and other questions from Members is reproduced below:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ongoing conflict in Idlib, Syria.
The Question was considered in a Virtual Proceeding via video call.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): My Lords, we welcome the ongoing ceasefire in Idlib and call on all sides to abide by their obligations under the Russia-Turkey agreement of 5 March and to heed UN envoy Pedersen’s calls for a permanent, nationwide cessation of hostilities. We also remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Idlib, with 846,000 people still displaced and at high risk of Covid-19. We have therefore further increased our humanitarian response.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I am grateful to the Minister for his response but, with 84 hospitals destroyed, some commentators are suggesting that in Idlib alone 100,000 people are at risk of coronavirus. What are Her Majesty’s Government doing to ensure that we have medical equipment, particularly ventilators, in that country to prevent what could be another humanitarian crisis?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises potential Covid-19 humanitarian crisis in Syria”
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