Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Wednesday, 29 June 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 July 2011. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Christianity

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Christians in Iraq.

Answer: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received and continues to receive regular representations from parliamentarians and members of the public about the situation of Christians in Iraq. The number of representations rose sharply after the tragic attacks against Christian groups in Iraq in late 2010. We continue to take this issue extremely seriously. Most recently our ambassador to Iraq met Baghdad-based Canon Andrew White to discuss the current situation.The Government are greatly concerned about those who are denied the right to freedom of religion or belief. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief, wherever they occur or whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned. We, together with international partners, regularly make clear to Governments across the region the importance we place on promoting cultural and religious tolerance and on eliminating all legal provisions and policies which discriminate against different religious communities.

Secondary information