By ExpressMarco Giannangeli
It comes after Lord Alton of Liverpool warned of a “crisis of biblical proportions” which will see at least half of the 12 million Christians in the Middle East either gone or killed by 2020, as IS and other radical Islamist groups continue their bloodthirsty campaigns.
Lord Alton, founder of the Jubilee Campaign human rights organisation, said the move would be justified on human rights grounds alone, since Middle Eastern Christians are in the greatest fear of persecution.
His views were last night supported by the Church of England’s foreign affairs spokesman, the Bishop of Coventry, and Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain.
“IS presents this as a clash of civilisations but the manner in which they debase all that is civilised simply pits civilisation against barbarism,” said Lord Alton, in a recent report for the Geopolitical Information Service think-tank.
“Even Muslim scholars challenge the Islamic basis on which it forces Christians to convert or die as the Quran says there should be no compulsion in religion.
“This same hatred of Christians has been nurtured by other radical groups from the Taliban to al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.”
Hotspots include Iraq, Syria and Libya, where in February IS executed 21 Coptic Christians, Lebanon, Palestine, Eritrea and Nigeria.
In April, 147 Christian students were killed by al-Shabaab-affiliated at Kenya’s Garissa University College.
Earlier this year a Christian couple was burned alive in a kiln by a mob of 1,300 people in Pakistan while their young children were forced to watch.
Speaking to the Sunday Express, he added: “Christians made up a quarter of the Middle East’s population 100 years ago, now they are less than five per cent.
“This is where the EU needs to act. There needs to be some sort of calibration that places these Christians at the top of the list. I make this argument not on religious grounds, but rather Article 18 of the Convention on Human Rights.
“We can't take everyone, but we can take those who are most vulnerable and we know Christians are very vulnerable.”
Speaking last night the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, said: “The most necessary thing is to prioritise the most vulnerable. If Christians are the most vulnerable - and there is no doubt about it that in many cases they are - then there is a case for it. This is a severe humanitarian crisis that puts Christians on the front line, and it is irresponsible to ignore religious affiliation.
“There is a need for the Foreign Office and all departments including Dfid to recalibrate resources for this crisis in which religion is seen as persecution used as a weapon of war.”
Bishop Angaelos, said: “We have a post colonial guilt which pushes Christians to the side, because people don't want to appear biased.
“But if we look at the violation of human rights and proportionally where they fall, we see it’s an issue of indigenous people and where there is the greatest displacement and greatest risk.
“It is important to help every person that needs help, but there must be a prioritisation. The government needs to conduct a proper study and consult with the right people to determine that prioritisation.”
Lord Alton added that foreign aid to nations that persecuted minority religions should have conditions placed on it.
“Why has the EU given it £300m in aid to Eritrea – essentially the “North Korea of Africa” - without requiring that it is handed before the international criminal court for action?” he asked.
“The Foreign Office has only one full time desk officer dedicated to religious freedom when, in fact, it spends up to 25 per cent of its time dealing with religious issues.
“No wonder we don't take this issue seriously.”
Human Rights Minister Baroness Anelay said: “There is absolutely no doubt that Christians and other minority communities are facing real dangers and great hardship in parts of the Middle East, largely as a result of the actions of ISIL.
“The UK has assisted all those fleeing persecution in the war-torn areas of the Middle East by providing humanitarian aid and support and continues to work to allow minority religious communities to stay in their homelands.”
Lord Alton, founder of the Jubilee Campaign human rights organisation, said the move would be justified on human rights grounds alone, since Middle Eastern Christians are in the greatest fear of persecution.
His views were last night supported by the Church of England’s foreign affairs spokesman, the Bishop of Coventry, and Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain.
“IS presents this as a clash of civilisations but the manner in which they debase all that is civilised simply pits civilisation against barbarism,” said Lord Alton, in a recent report for the Geopolitical Information Service think-tank.
“Even Muslim scholars challenge the Islamic basis on which it forces Christians to convert or die as the Quran says there should be no compulsion in religion.
“This same hatred of Christians has been nurtured by other radical groups from the Taliban to al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.”
Hotspots include Iraq, Syria and Libya, where in February IS executed 21 Coptic Christians, Lebanon, Palestine, Eritrea and Nigeria.
In April, 147 Christian students were killed by al-Shabaab-affiliated at Kenya’s Garissa University College.
Earlier this year a Christian couple was burned alive in a kiln by a mob of 1,300 people in Pakistan while their young children were forced to watch.
Speaking to the Sunday Express, he added: “Christians made up a quarter of the Middle East’s population 100 years ago, now they are less than five per cent.
“This is where the EU needs to act. There needs to be some sort of calibration that places these Christians at the top of the list. I make this argument not on religious grounds, but rather Article 18 of the Convention on Human Rights.
“We can't take everyone, but we can take those who are most vulnerable and we know Christians are very vulnerable.”
Speaking last night the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, said: “The most necessary thing is to prioritise the most vulnerable. If Christians are the most vulnerable - and there is no doubt about it that in many cases they are - then there is a case for it. This is a severe humanitarian crisis that puts Christians on the front line, and it is irresponsible to ignore religious affiliation.
“There is a need for the Foreign Office and all departments including Dfid to recalibrate resources for this crisis in which religion is seen as persecution used as a weapon of war.”
Bishop Angaelos, said: “We have a post colonial guilt which pushes Christians to the side, because people don't want to appear biased.
“But if we look at the violation of human rights and proportionally where they fall, we see it’s an issue of indigenous people and where there is the greatest displacement and greatest risk.
“It is important to help every person that needs help, but there must be a prioritisation. The government needs to conduct a proper study and consult with the right people to determine that prioritisation.”
Lord Alton added that foreign aid to nations that persecuted minority religions should have conditions placed on it.
“Why has the EU given it £300m in aid to Eritrea – essentially the “North Korea of Africa” - without requiring that it is handed before the international criminal court for action?” he asked.
“The Foreign Office has only one full time desk officer dedicated to religious freedom when, in fact, it spends up to 25 per cent of its time dealing with religious issues.
“No wonder we don't take this issue seriously.”
Human Rights Minister Baroness Anelay said: “There is absolutely no doubt that Christians and other minority communities are facing real dangers and great hardship in parts of the Middle East, largely as a result of the actions of ISIL.
“The UK has assisted all those fleeing persecution in the war-torn areas of the Middle East by providing humanitarian aid and support and continues to work to allow minority religious communities to stay in their homelands.”
