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UK Lawmakers Move to Strengthen Religious Freedom
A UK bill strengthening the British government’s commitment to international religious freedom is gaining traction in Parliament.
The bill, titled “Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief,” is a significant step toward establishing the UK’s watchdog on international religious freedom as a permanent post.
“History has shown that, where freedom of religion or belief is under threat, other human rights are often also at risk.”
MP Fiona Bruce, who has been serving as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief since December 2020, is a key figure in the bill’s journey. The bill has successfully transitioned from the Public Bill Committee and is now before the full House of Commons.
The Public Bill Committee—the parliamentary body that studies, debates and receives evidence from outside organizations and the public before a measure goes to the House of Commons—heard debate on the matter on April 24.
During the Public Bill Committee debate, Bruce said, “History has shown that, where freedom of religion or belief is under threat, other human rights are often also at risk.”
The bill defines the special envoy’s duties as: “(A) promoting freedom of religion or belief abroad, in particular by working with the government of the United Kingdom, with other governments and their representatives (including special envoys), and with organizations outside government; (B) raising awareness of cases in which people abroad are persecuted or discriminated against on the grounds of religion or belief and advocating for the rights of such people.”
The measure also charges the special envoy with the task of giving periodic reports to the Prime Minister.
London-based Miles P. J. Windsor, Senior Manager for Strategy and Campaigns with the Middle East Action Team at the Religious Freedom Institute, wrote the following in support of the bill, “Hundreds of millions of people around the world live with the threat of persecution on account of their beliefs. These are the reasons and this is the moment we should overcome our blushes, rediscover our moral backbone on the international stage, and stand up with confidence and determination for a right which should be universally applied. It is vital to recognize that religious freedom is not solely an international foreign policy concern but a matter on which, at home, we are complacent at our great peril.”
The bill has broad backing in Parliament, crossing party lines, and is also supported by the executive branch, His Majesty’s government.
In confirming his support, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said, “I very much agree with the Bill. In fact, I insisted that it went forward with government support. Fiona Bruce does an excellent job in this regard and, for the first time, one of these governmental envoys will be placed on a statutory footing. That reflects the importance that we in this government and in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office attach to celebrating freedom of religious belief.”
