Christianity

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 12 March 2014.

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Photo of Jim Cunningham Jim Cunningham Labour, Coventry South

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make lessening the persecution of Christians worldwide a key part of his foreign policy.

Photo of David Lidington David Lidington The Minister for Europe

The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is a key priority for this Government. Lessening the persecution of Christians is a fundamental part of this policy. We regularly raise our concerns about the persecution of Christians with other countries either bilaterally, with EU partners or in multilateral fora.

Last November Senior Minister of State, my noble friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi gave a speech in Washington stressing the need for an international response to the rising tide of religious persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. We believe that the best way to combat the persecution of Christians is by adopting a cross-faith approach. History points to the fact that intolerance is only defeated when we come together across divides and argue for the case of freedom for all. Building on the Washington Speech, Baroness Warsi will host a conference later this year focusing on promoting the benefits of religious pluralism, responsible media reporting and better practical projects, as well as encouraging countries to protect this fundamental, yet threatened, human right.

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