An independent review of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) support for persecuted Christians has revealed that the FCO has been discriminating against Christians. Read our article for an explanation of this conclusion.
Take action: Please ask the FCO to respond to the review by increasing its support for persecuted Christians. You can contact the FCO by email (fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk) or at the address below.
Since our article was published, the Archbishop of Erbil, where the independent review says most of the displaced Christians in Iraq have sought shelter, has been reported accusing Britain of discriminating against Christians:
“Is Britain saying ‘we can’t help you because you are Christian?’ he asks. ‘That is a type of discrimination. You help those who need help. That is the criteria.’”
Write to the Foreign Office and in your own words make one or more of the following suggested points:
- Thank the FCO for commissioning the independent review into FCO support for persecuted Christians. Say you are pleased that it has highlighted that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world.
- Say you are shocked to hear that political correctness has resulted in the FCO not supporting persecuted Christians. Ask how they plan to change this politically correct attitude in the FCO.
- Ask why no aid has gone to the Christians in Erbil in Iraq. You could quote the Archbishop of Erbil above or from our article.
- Ask why no aid is reaching persecuted Christians in Pakistan.
- Ask why asylum was not offered to Asia Bibi when the UK was her family’s preferred destination. Ask whether the UK will offer asylum to other Christians in Pakistan who are now in prison and under threat of execution for alleged blasphemy offences.
- Ask when aid to Pakistan will be made conditional on its treatment of religious minorities.
- A recommendation of the review is that the FCO should be prepared to impose sanctions on countries with Freedom of Religion abuses. Ask when this will happen. What actions are they taking to put pressure on countries which mistreat Christians?
- Say that you don’t want the FCO to adopt the vague and confusing term ‘Christophobia’. ‘Anti-Christian’ discrimination or persecution is a better and clearer term which does not conflate irrational fear with actual persecution of Christian individuals. The government should not be encouraging an ever-increasing list of ‘phobias’.
- Ask whether there will be a timescale for implementation of the recommendations and when this will be published.
Email: fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
Postal address:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH