Britain should withhold aid to countries that persecute Christians, a senior Conservative has said.
Liam Fox, former Defence Secretary, said that it was “unacceptable” for taxpayers’ money to go to regimes that do not “represent our values” and refused to tolerate other religions.
“A lot of people find it increasingly unacceptable as we look round the world and we see persecution of Christians, for example, or persecution of other religious minorities. They say, ‘Why should our money be given to regimes and governments who are extremely intolerant when it comes to other people’s religions?’”
The Times reported that he singled out Pakistan and Somalia as countries that fell short of British “ethical values”.
A number of MPs have spoken out for Christians in the Middle East after Prince Charles last month warned of a “crisis” of organised persecution in the region.
The Prince of Wales said at a reception for Middle Eastern Christian leaders at Clarence House that “Christians in the Middle East are, increasingly, being deliberately targeted by fundamentalist Islamist militants.”
Days later the shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, in an article in the Sunday Telegraph, accused British politicians of having “forsaken” the cause of Christians in the Middle East.
Mr Fox’s call has been supported by CLAAS, which helps persecuted Christians in Pakistan, while Release International’s UK Director Colin King said: “2014 looks set to be a turbulent year for Christians – especially ahead of elections in Nigeria and Afghanistan”
At the end of last month, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the UK should offer asylum to Syrian Christians.
After appearing to suggest earlier that the offer should be open to Muslims, he told the Jeremy Vine Show that Syrian Muslims could flee to neighbouring countries.
“It’s bad enough for Sunni and Shia. At least there are neighbouring countries that will take them,” he said.
“Where on Earth are the Christians going to go? Christians are now a seriously persecuted minority.”
The calls to support persecuted Christians come after a debate on persecution last month in the House of Commons.
well well!!!!! Liam Fox states it is unacceptable for taxpayers money to go to regimes that dont represent our values. Are these the same conservative values that Cameron and William Hague have in sending Arms, aid and finance to the Syrian rebels to help remove Assad,plus these same rebels who used sarin gas against the Syrian people.These same rebels that are also supported by Obama .Yes i think i know what Liam Fox values are!!!!!!
Walt
Good point, IMHO, except you can’t actually blame Liam Fox for current stupid UK policy in Syria. He isn’t in the Government any more.
Is it too much to hope, though, that some of the aid given might go to the Christian population as well as to the Muslim and/or other population, in which case it won’t help the Christians very much to cut off aid. Moreover, if our government makes is clear that aid is being cut off “because of” the Christians, the Christians might suffer all the more as a result.
[ Please add this to previous just sent ]
We might even end up with a sort of “protection racket” where we have to give aid or the Christians are persecuted.