As Christians face increasing numbers of attacks across the world, the British Foreign Office is to target 10 countries in a bid to get them to improve their record on protecting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
The move was announced by the UK’s newly-appointed special envoy for FoRB, David Smith, MP for North Northumberland, a Christian who has previously worked for Tearfund and the Bible Society.
He told a London briefing, “You will know that, according to the charity Open Doors, 380 million Christians alone are persecuted worldwide because of their faith.
“Persecution on the basis of religion or belief, enacted by States themselves and social groups, is taking place on every continent in the world. It includes social ostracism, police harassment, arbitrary detention, denial of citizenship, assault, destruction of sites of religious worship, torture, and killings.”
He explained, “Freedom of religion or belief demonstrates the core principle that human rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
“If you have no freedom to worship, you have no freedom of assembly. If you have no freedom of belief, you have no freedom of conscience. If you have no freedom to share your faith, you have no freedom of speech.
“If you have no freedom to practise your faith or belief you are not equal in dignity and rights. And so, today, the UK makes a new commitment to the centrality of FoRB in our foreign policy.”
The 10 countries to be targeted by the UK are: Vietnam, Algeria, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iraq.
These, said Mr Smith, “are countries where the need is greatest; where opportunities exist to make positive change; and where the UK, specifically, has the relationships and partnerships to help achieve this.”
But the UK government’s approach – designed to protect followers of all faiths and none – does raise questions. Of the 10 countries targeted, only three – Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan – are in the top ten of the Open Doors World Watch List of where Christians face the worst persecution, and none of Open Doors’ top six – North Korea, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Eritrea – are on the UK target list.
In explaining the selection, Smith said, “Our focus in seeking to journey with these 10 countries is an important stepping stone towards our overarching goal of a reduction in the number of countries in which the right to freedom of religion or belief is significantly curtailed.
“However, it is important to say that a more targeted approach does not limit us. Situations such as that in Eritrea and in Yemen are also on my mind, and I will be championing FoRB for all wherever and whenever I can, including through public and private advocacy for prisoners of conscience.”
The UK government aims to increase support for international FoRB standards by: working with international bodies such as the United Nations; focusing on key bilateral relationships; strengthening coalitions between nations; incorporating FoRB into the Foreign Office’s mainstream work; and working with civil society groups.
The appointment of an envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief was first made by the Foreign Office, following a report by Philip Mounstephen, then Bishop of Truro, in 2019. This found a widespread lack of knowledge by Foreign Office staff about the extent of persecution of Christians and other believers around the world.
In recent weeks, research by Christian public relations agency Jersey Road has found that the UK’s mainstream media largely fails to report attacks on Christians across the globe.
Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, and a former communications director with the CofE.
