Ritchie calls on British Government to take action on ‘persecution of Christians overseas’

SDLP MP for South Down Margaret Ritchie has asked for the UK government to do more to protect Christians overseas.

She was speaking following Foreign Office Questions in the House of Commons.

Ritchie said, “The UK government has a duty to promote the freedom from persecution for religious minorities around the world, including Christians who have increasingly come under attack in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

“Either side of Christmas we witnessed brutal attacks on Christian minorities in Egypt and Nigeria and I would urge the Foreign Secretary to ensure that the governments of these countries are taking every possible measure to deal with this.

“It must be recognised that many of these attacks are often in the context of nations that are war-torn or lack stable, open societies.

“The UK government must work with EU and G8 partners, and where possible the governments in countries where these abuses are taking place, to tackle this threat and to build the capacity to do so.

She added, “Freedom from religious persecution should be a cornerstone of our society and we should work tirelessly at home and abroad to ensure that all people have a freedom to practice their faith.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Jan 27 2015. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry