Cardinal accuses UK government of “anti-Christian foreign policy”
Cardinal accuses UK government of “anti-Christian foreign policy”
Roman Catholic cardinal Keith O’Brian has accused the UK government of operating an “anti-Christian foreign policy”. According to Cardinal O’Brian, UK officials keep ignoring mass persecution of Christians in Pakistan while planning to increase aid to the wayward ally. The cardinal’s statement is backed by the Vatican-approved agency, which demonstrates a critical decline of the Christian population of Pakistan.
Relations with Pakistan have become one of the most challenging moments of the UK and the US foreign policy. Being an irreplaceable ally of the West in its war against Islamic terrorism, the Pakistani government demands the constant increase of aid, while remaining an extremely unreliable partner. At the same time, any concessions made by the Pakistani authorities only raise the level of anti-Western sentiments among the population, opening way for the Jihadist propaganda.
The reason for the cardinal’s attack became an intention of the UK government to increase aid to Pakistan to more than 445 mln £, while still not having any guarantees of protecting the religious freedom and basic human rights of the Christian minority. Cardinal O-Brian based his statement on a report by the Vatican-approved agency Aid to the Church in Need, which suggested 75% of religious persecution around the world, was directed against Christians, affecting 100 million people. According to the report the Christian population of Iraq has gone from an estimated 1.4 million to as low as 150,000 over the past 25 years.
The Cardinal described the report's estimate of persecution against Christians as "intolerable and unacceptable".
Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, in Iraq, said: "The Persecuted and Forgotten report and the work of Aid to Church in Need are critical to us as members of the worldwide Christian community. This information will significantly contribute to building international support and solidarity for Christians around the world where our human rights and our religious freedom have been stripped away."
Speaking in Glasgow, Cardinal O’Brian mentioned the growing hostility against Christians in the world. "We ask that the religious freedoms we enjoy to practice our faith, will soon be extended to every part of the world and that the tolerance we show to other faiths in our midst will be reciprocated everywhere," said cardinal. He also called on Foreign Secretary William Hague to apply strong measures to seek human rights guarantees.
"I urge William Hague to obtain guarantees from foreign governments before they are given aid,” said Cardinal O’Brian, "To increase aid to the Pakistan government when religious freedom is not upheld and those who speak up for religious freedom are gunned down is tantamount to an anti-Christian foreign policy.”
The church already highlighted the fact of the assassination of Pakistani minority affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti. Bhatti, the only Christian member of the cabinet in Pakistan, was an outspoken critic of infamous blasphemy laws. He also delivered outstanding support for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, sentenced to death in 2010 for alleged blasphemy. Bhatti had been receiving death threats for years and was murdered on 2 March 2011. His assassination made thousands of Christian protesters take to the streets across Punjab, demanding justice.
According to Cardinal O’ Brian "pressure should now be put on the government of Pakistan - and the governments of the Arab world as well - to ensure that religious freedom is upheld, the provision of aid must require a commitment to human rights."
Replying to the cardinal’s claim, the Foreign Office said that it put its best efforts to raise concerns about persecution wherever it arose, including Pakistan.
"Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and we condemn and deplore religious persecution in any form,” said Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt, "The effective promotion of human rights, including freedom of religion, is at the heart of our foreign policy."
"We will continue to press for religious freedoms to be upheld in Pakistan and around the world," added Burt. The materialization of the promise may become a serious challenge in the current fragile situation.
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