Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 24 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 July 2007. It was answered by Meg Munn (Labour) on Thursday, 26 July 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Religion

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will provide support to the Christian community of Iraq against attempts forcibly to Islamicise them; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: We are aware of recent reports about the threats faced by Christians in the Dora area of Baghdad. We have raised this with the Iraqi Government who have told us the security force presence in the area has been increased to counter this threat. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and press, and support, the Iraqi Government in taking action to ensure all Iraqis are protected from such threats.A sustainable improvement in security will only be possible if Iraq's political, ethnic and religious communities can work and live together in harmony. We will continue to support the Iraqi Government's efforts to promote reconciliation and national unity in this regard.

Secondary information