🙏 Persecution of Christians

• Global Persecution of Christians: The debate focused on the widespread persecution of Christians, highlighting that around 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination worldwide.

• Rising Statistics: In 2024, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith, mostly in Nigeria. Over 200,000 Christians were forced into hiding or exile due to their beliefs.

• Specific Regions and Issues:
  • Nigeria: Highlighted as a major concern where Christian communities are devastated by Islamist extremists, with thousands killed and displaced.
  • Middle East: Mentioned the severe decline in Christian populations in countries like Iraq and Syria due to persecution and conflict.
  • North Korea: The most oppressive country towards Christians, where the situation has worsened in 2024.
  • Afghanistan and Algeria: Christians face extreme persecution; in Afghanistan, it’s nearly impossible for Christians to express their faith publicly, while in Algeria, all Protestant churches have been forced to close.

• Impact on Women and Girls: Christian women and girls face double persecution for their faith and gender, with specific cases of forced marriages and sexual violence.

• UK Government’s Role:
  • The UK has appointed a special envoy for freedom of religion or belief to address these global issues.
  • The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has answered numerous parliamentary questions on this issue and continues to advocate for protection of persecuted Christians.
  • Calls were made for the UK to increase its efforts, including using diplomatic channels and potentially targeting sanctions against individuals and entities involved in persecution.
• Call for Action:
  • The debate urged the UK government to continue its leadership in promoting freedom of religion or belief, and to integrate these efforts into broader human rights and foreign policy frameworks.
  • There was a strong recommendation to reassess the decision to cut official development assistance (ODA) as it impacts support for persecuted minorities.

• Role of Organizations: The work of groups like Open Doors was praised for their efforts in exposing and combating Christian persecution globally.

• Historical and Cultural Context: Some speakers linked the persecution of Christians to broader themes of human rights and the historical roots of religious tolerance and freedom in the UK.

• Hope and Resilience: Despite the grim statistics, the debate acknowledged the resilience and faith of persecuted Christians, drawing hope from their unwavering belief amidst persecution.

The parliamentary session on the persecution of Christians exhibited a low level of disagreement among the participants, warranting a rating of 1 on a scale of 1 to 5. The primary focus of the session was to raise awareness and share information about the persecution of Christians worldwide, rather than to debate contentious issues directly related to policy or perspectives on the matter. Most speakers expressed a unified stance on the need to address and combat the persecution faced by Christians globally, and there were few direct contradictions or oppositional viewpoints presented.

Throughout the session, the MPs largely agreed on the severity of the issue and the importance of continuing to advocate for religious freedom, with many sharing personal experiences and citing statistics to underline the urgency of the situation. For instance, Sir Desmond Swayne’s comments on Nigeria, where he emphasized that climate change was not the root cause of the persecution but rather extremist ideology, were not countered by any dissenting views; instead, his point was supplemented by others, such as Jim Shannon, who reinforced the notion of religious persecution leading to displacement.

There were minor points of divergence, such as when Danny Kruger slightly contradicted David Smith’s view on the legitimacy of the UK to speak on these issues due to past sins. Kruger argued that the UK’s Christian foundations give it a basis to address persecution globally, but this was not a significant disagreement and did not disrupt the overall consensus on the need for action. Additionally, Sir John Hayes’s call for a statutory role for a religious freedom envoy and the suggestion to link trade aid with religious freedom policies were mentioned but not challenged directly, indicating broad support for such measures.

The session was characterized more by cooperative dialogue, with MPs suggesting various ways to tackle the issue, like increasing diplomatic efforts, raising awareness, and potentially reviving legislative measures, than by substantive disagreement. Even the Minister’s response focused on affirming the government’s commitment to addressing the issue without contesting any particular point raised by the participants.

In summary, the minimal disagreements and the overarching agreement on the importance of the topic and the need for action justify a low disagreement rating of 1.