Persecuted Christians Abroad

1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.

3. What steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle the persecution of Christians in other countries.

It is a pleasure to see you at Church Commissioners questions this morning, Madam Deputy Speaker. I thank the Leader of the House for stepping in to cover questions last month, when I was unwell.

The Church of England remains deeply concerned about the rising persecution on grounds of faith and belief worldwide, including recent cases in Iran, Sudan, India and Palestine. Christian communities remain the most targeted. The Church is working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to improve the faith literacy of its officials; supporting the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief; regularly providing resources to bishops to raise cases in the other place; and developing resources for use across the global Anglican communion.

I thank my hon. Friend for her answer. I received many Christmas cards from residents in my Watford constituency who support the Open Doors campaign and are concerned about the persecution of Christians around the world. I have also met representatives of congregations in my constituency. Does she agree that the world watch list, which was published here in Parliament yesterday, is an important project to identify the locations of persecuted Christians around the world and encourage those countries to promote tolerance?

Yes, I do. I was pleased to attend the launch of the Open Doors world watch list here in Parliament yesterday, and to hear the powerful testimonies of those who have fled persecution. An estimated 338 million Christians are facing persecution across 50 countries, including Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Iran, Nigeria, India, Myanmar, Iraq and Egypt. Organisations such as Open Doors do vital work in raising awareness and highlighting the persecution of people of faith, and its report is a stark reminder of why global norms matter.

I thank the hon. Member for her answer, but she will be aware that in past decades over 50,000 Christians have been inhumanely slaughtered in Nigeria by murderous Islamist groups, namely Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. These attacks have only intensified in recent months, targeting vulnerable groups such as Christian schools and missionaries. This is a tragedy of mammoth proportions. What action is the Church of England taking to prioritise the issue of Christian persecution and support the Anglican Church in Nigeria?

The hon. Member has been a strong voice on this issue, and I welcome that. He rightly highlights that thousands of Christians are being killed because of their faith, and that persecution comes in many forms; he has mentioned schools and so forth. That is why we are so grateful for the work of organisations such as Open Doors, Aid to the Church in Need and others for shining a light on what is happening globally. The bishops in the other place continue to raise these cases, and it is something that remains a priority for the Church.