Perspective: Believers’ rights - Letter

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It is time to talk of these situations in terms of human rights. It is time to talk in the same breath of the Christians in Syria; the Shia Muslims in Quetta, Pakistan; the Rohingya Muslims in Burma; the humanists in Indonesia; and the Baha’is in Iran.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Independent | UK
By All Party Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief

SIR – We agree that the West must help persecuted Christians, whose plight has long been ignored in the media (Cristina Odone, Comment, September 26).

However, rarely in these situations is one minority suffering alone. For instance, although Christians in Pakistan are being murdered with impunity, so too are Hindus, Ahmadiyya and Shia Muslims.

It is time to talk of these situations in terms of human rights. It is time to talk in the same breath of the Christians in Syria; the Shia Muslims in Quetta, Pakistan; the Rohingya Muslims in Burma; the humanists in Indonesia; and the Baha’is in Iran.

The Foreign Office has made freedom of religion or belief a priority. Human rights abuses for many faiths and for humanists are on the increase. Supporters of our all-party group disagree theologically but agree on the right to freedom of religion or belief of those they profoundly disagree with.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has commented on BBC Radio 4: “We would stand up for any minority that is being targeted because of its faith. It is not acceptable to attack people because of their faith.”

It is 65 years since freedom of religion or belief was enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the wake of the Holocaust.

We shall be asking the Government to commemorate this anniversary with the appointment of an Ambassador on Freedom of Religion or Belief.


By:
Baroness Berridge (Con), Chairman
Lord Alton (Crossbench)
Jim Dobbin MP (Lab)
Angie Bray MP (Con)
Baroness Cox (Crossbench)

All Party Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief
London SW1


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