Pressure is mounting on the UK government to declare it will offer asylum to Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman believed to be in danger after being aquitted of blasphemy charges.
Prominent religious leaders have urged her admission to the UK. In a letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Christian leaders including the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, David Landrum, director of advocacy for the Evangelical Alliance, with Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and civic campaigners as well as 15 MPs, say: 'This country has a long tradition of offering protection, stretching back to the Huguenots. We should seek to act in this case too.
'It is essential that there is strong international pressure to ensure the Pakistani government allows Ms Bibi to leave for a place of safety if she wishes to do so. We call on you to make a clear and proactive statement, that Britain would welcome a request for sanctuary here. Many other governments may wish to make a similar offer: we wish to see our government step up and show leadership.
'We are confident that action to ensure Asia Bibi and her family are safe would be very widely welcomed by most people in Britain, across every faith in our society. If there are intolerant fringe voices who would object, they must be robustly challenged, not indulged.
'The real threat to good community relationships in Britain would arise from a failure to stand for and act upon the values we should all share.'
Separately, Scottish church leaders also wrote to the home secretary asking him to allow Asia Bibi asylum.
An open letter, signed by seven leaders including Rt Rev Susan Brown, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Most Rev Leo Cushley, Roman Catholic Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, says the violent protests that erupted after her conviction was quashed sharply highlight the dangers facing Christians in the country where blasphemy carries the death penalty.
The letter states: 'We stand with the Christian community in Pakistan and request that the UK Government takes action to protect minority faith communities and ensure justice for all.
'With all respect, we urge you and through you, the Home Office, to grant asylum to Asia Bibi and her family in recognition of the United Kingdom's continuing commitment to freedom of religion and belief.'
Around 70 MPs have separately written to Prime Minister Theresa May calling for her to be given asylum because of the 'exceptional circumstances' of her case.
Authored by Conservative MP Rehman Chishti, the letter says: 'There is a very clear danger to her and her family's lives in Pakistan, highlighted recently by the unacceptable and appalling actions from the mob of religious extremists and the unacceptable decision of the Government of Pakistan giving into the demands of the mob.'
It says the letter to the prime minister 'will simply ask the Government to provide asylum to Asia Bibi and her family if and when a request is made through appropriate channels'.
Chishti told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We have a moral obligation as the United Kingdom to give sanctuary to someone who's been persecuted for their faith.'
MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, said she was not being offered asylum because officials feared terrorist attacks in reprisal. Questioning Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Simon McDonald, he asked whether the episode 'does not raise the question that either staff should be withdrawn or security increased or otherwise UK policy is effectively dictated to by a mob?', according to the Guardian. McDonald stressed the importance of Britain's relationship with Pakistan, saying: 'If the objective is to protect life and some other country can provide some more complete safe harbour, why should the UK not be open to working with that country?'
Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron MP has introduced a Commons Early Day Motion saying the House 'recognises that Britain's commitment to freedom of religious expression, for those of all faiths and none, is one of our most important values' andcalling on the government 'to immediately extend an offer of unconditional asylum to her and her family'. He told Christian Today: 'As a country we've always been proud to look after those are in need of help and safety – and this case should be no different.
'It's important that we demonstrate our commitment to religious tolerance and offer unconditional asylum to Asia Bibi and her family.'
