Religious Minorities in the Middle East
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has responded to a Written Question tabled by Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, who asked what steps the Foreign Office is taking to ensure the safety and rights of religious minorities in the Middle East. In his reply, the Minister stated that the Foreign Office regularly urges governments across the Middle East to uphold the rights of all religious minorities, and closely monitors the situation of minority religious groups.
After mentioning the Foreign Office’s recent representations to the Egyptian and Syrian Governments to protect minorities, the Minister stated that across the Middle East the situation is one of “exceptional seriousness” for many religious minorities.