Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 January 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 January 2012. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 16 January 2012 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Christianity

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of reports of the persecution of Christians in Iraq and the security of acts of Christian worship, including over the Christmas period; what representations he has made to the Iraqi Government about the need to protect Christians in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The security situation for Christians has generally improved over the past 12 months, although the situation facing Iraq's ethnic and religious groups remains precarious. We are not aware of any major attacks against Christians that occurred over the Christmas period, although some Christian services are reported to have been cancelled for security reasons. The Government of Iraq have pledged their commitment to safeguarding places of worship and providing adequate protection to all their minority groups, including increasing security on the streets of Baghdad. We continue to monitor the situation closely and have raised our concerns at the highest levels with the Iraqi Government. In the past, both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), have raised the persecution of Christians with the Iraqi Government, and I raised it most recently with the Iraqi Human Rights Minister on 12 January. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to fund project activity to promote religious tolerance. We have agreed to fund a further meeting of the High Council of Religious Leaders in Iraq, which seeks to bring together religious leaders from all faiths to combat sectarian violence.

Secondary information