Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Monday, 10 October 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 12 October 2011. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 17 October 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Egypt: Religious Freedom

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt; and whether he has plans to make representations to the Government of Egypt on the protection of religious minorities.

Answer: Tensions between Christians and Muslims had initially eased during the revolution, but there has been a resurgence of violence between the communities. The Coptic community has been calling for greater protection, equality and new legislation. We have raised our concerns about the dangers of extremism and sectarianism in Egypt with the authorities, and urged that respect for human rights be enshrined in the constitution, including guarantees for minority rights.The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), issued a statement on 10 October expressing his deep concern over the unrest and the loss of life in Cairo on 9 October. He urged all Egyptians to refrain from violence, support the Egyptian Prime Minister's call for calm and for all sides to engage in dialogue. He said that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society. On 12 October the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the situation in Egypt with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Amro.

Secondary information