Religious Liberty Partnership calls for freedom in Middle East and North Africa

The Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) has called on governments in the Middle East and North Africa to safeguard religious freedom.

The RLP is an international alliance of Christian organisations, including Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International and the World Evangelical Alliance.

In the statement, they express concern over the use of violence against protesters and call on governments to ensure that all citizens are "granted the foundational human right to adopt a religion or belief of their choice".

They also make recommendations for integrating freedom of religion into newly formed governments.

“As members of the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP), we have closely observed the protests held in many Middle Eastern and North African countries,” the statement reads.

“We welcome the widespread calls for greater freedom and strongly endorse these aspirations. We believe that freedom, equality and justice for all are essential for the development and cohesion of societies."

The RLP stresses the right of individuals to be able to adopt the belief of their own choosing publicly and privately, saying that "it is a common feature of many faiths that ethical aspects of the faith should impact all aspects of life”.

The statement follows months of unrest in the Arab world, where widespread demonstrations have been held calling for leadership and system change.

Egyptian Christians are hoping that parliamentary elections in September will establish greater democracy and freedom than what they enjoyed under ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

"In observing the current events unfolding in many Middle Eastern countries I am excited at the possibilities for real progress to come from these events," said Mervyn Thomas, Chairman of the RLP and chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

"Now is a great opportunity for Christians across the region to show that, as national citizens, they have a role to play in bringing about justice for all peoples and recognition that this cannot be achieved without full religious freedom.”