In an article he wrote for Standpoint magazine, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said that while the United Nations had taken the necessary steps to protect people in Libya from attacks by their own government, he wondered why the United Nations or the West was “unable to tackle the widespread and growing persecution of Christians?”
The Bishop was particularly worried about countries like Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Christian communities are regularly harassed by religious extremists.
“In the case of Iraq, why is there so much resistance to a declaration that Christians, Mandaeans, Yazidis and other minorities need to be protected and that, where necessary, their safety in certain zones will be guaranteed by the international community?” he asked.
Bishop Nazir-Ali was ordained in Pakistan but is now based in England, and he insisted in his article that international involvement would give Christians in countries like Iraq a sense of greater security concerning their future and would prevent them from fleeing.
“If the continued presence of these ancient communities is to be safeguarded, the international community needs to act now.”
The Bishop also said Pakistan present a peculiar problem in this regard because with their controversial blasphemy law they have legally enshrined discrimination. Nazir-Ali believes this law is an example of the “blatant intolerance” of religious minorities, and as a result the West should really rethink their relationship with Pakistan to properly address extremism.
“Pakistan is the recipient of massive aid from Western countries. This is to assist with basic services and to prevent the spread of extremism. But why should it not be targeted, first and foremost, at those areas which are most susceptible to extremist influence?”
The Bishop made suggestions such as removing hate speech in textbooks, reforming the education system, strengthening civil society and the role of women and non-Muslims, and fostering interfaith dialogue.
“Is there any reason why such aid cannot be linked with Pakistan’s performance, not only in how it deals with its minorities, but how it proposes to review and revise discriminatory legislation itself?” he wrote.